The Ruling on Participating in Media Outlets
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. I have several questions for you, Honorable Shaykh. The first question is: What is the position of Islam regarding participation in media outlets, whether they are considered part of Islamic states or not, despite the observations regarding them?
The Shaykh:
Participating in media outlets to clarify the truth is good. One enters and participates in them to clarify the truth. He writes in newspapers and magazines to clarify the truth. He has programs on the radio to clarify the truth, to call people to it, and to defend Islam and the creed. This is a good thing. Clarifying the truth.
As for entering with them, or in the media outlets, in accordance with what they are doing, without clarifying the truth or calling to it, this is not permissible. Because this is participation and assistance in sin and transgression. He cooperates with them, takes a salary from them, and cooperates with them in what they are doing without clarifying the truth from falsehood. This is cooperation in sin and transgression, and it is not permissible to enter with them except in one aspect: if he will clarify the truth, call to the truth, and refute falsehood. This is a good thing, and this is a good opportunity. Yes.
Another questioner:
Mm.
The questioner:
What is meant, Shaykh, is the participation of scholars, for example, in some channels or radio stations. These are originally built for forbidden things and established on forbidden things, and everything they broadcast is forbidden. Yet there are scholars who participate in these channels or radio stations. Are these scholars correct, or are those who do not support participation in these channels more correct in this matter, given the severe disagreement among people?
The Shaykh:
If the channels are established on a defective basis and are channels that broadcast falsehood, then it is not permissible for a scholar to enter them. Because they want his entry to serve as an advertisement for them, and for him to say that such-and-such a scholar has approved them, and that such-and-such a scholar has not condemned what is in them. His entry into them is proof of his approval of them. They want this to use as an argument and to promote it to the people. If their intention in involving the scholar is to advertise for them before the people, then this is a bad intention. The scholar must be aware of this intention and not enter with them. Yes.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. I have several questions for you, Honorable Shaykh. The first question is: What is the position of Islam regarding participation in media outlets, whether they are considered part of Islamic states or not, despite the observations regarding them?
The Shaykh:
Participating in media outlets to clarify the truth is good. One enters and participates in them to clarify the truth. He writes in newspapers and magazines to clarify the truth. He has programs on the radio to clarify the truth, to call people to it, and to defend Islam and the creed. This is a good thing. Clarifying the truth.
As for entering with them, or in the media outlets, in accordance with what they are doing, without clarifying the truth or calling to it, this is not permissible. Because this is participation and assistance in sin and transgression. He cooperates with them, takes a salary from them, and cooperates with them in what they are doing without clarifying the truth from falsehood. This is cooperation in sin and transgression, and it is not permissible to enter with them except in one aspect: if he will clarify the truth, call to the truth, and refute falsehood. This is a good thing, and this is a good opportunity. Yes.
Another questioner:
Mm.
The questioner:
What is meant, Shaykh, is the participation of scholars, for example, in some channels or radio stations. These are originally built for forbidden things and established on forbidden things, and everything they broadcast is forbidden. Yet there are scholars who participate in these channels or radio stations. Are these scholars correct, or are those who do not support participation in these channels more correct in this matter, given the severe disagreement among people?
The Shaykh:
If the channels are established on a defective basis and are channels that broadcast falsehood, then it is not permissible for a scholar to enter them. Because they want his entry to serve as an advertisement for them, and for him to say that such-and-such a scholar has approved them, and that such-and-such a scholar has not condemned what is in them. His entry into them is proof of his approval of them. They want this to use as an argument and to promote it to the people. If their intention in involving the scholar is to advertise for them before the people, then this is a bad intention. The scholar must be aware of this intention and not enter with them. Yes.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، محاضرات في العقيدة والدعوة-37-قضايا فقهية - 01|صالح الفوزان|العام|كبار العلماء — youtube.com (31:07)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.