What is the ruling on the one who forbids television while he keeps one in his house?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : We have a brother who is the imam of a mosque. This brother, may Allah bless him, orders people to remove the television from their homes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : He has a television in his house. Does the verse of Allah the Exalted,[Al-Baqarah 2:44], apply to him?
The Shaykh : You mean the television is in his house?
The questioner : Yes, it is in his house and he uses it just as people do. How does he listen to music, games, and these things on it?
The Shaykh : Well, why did you ask this question instead of asking the Shaykh whose house is free of a television?
The questioner : But I asked him a question, and I dislike him for it.
The Shaykh : How?
The questioner : You asked the question, and he said he dislikes it and hopes to remove it.
The Shaykh : Yes, that is enough.
The questioner : The master of the house, meaning he is the owner of the house and he practices what he commands.
The Shaykh : That is enough. He has given you the answer that should silence you, so perhaps you should be silent.
The questioner : The point is, does the verse apply to anything other than this? In other words, is it not sufficient to just recite it?
The Shaykh : May Allah guide you. Put this heat of yours in this question in a place other than this.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : First, the man may be one who is ruled over, or he may be a ruler. In that case, he may be excused, or he may not be excused in the sight of Allah. We cannot enter into people's hearts or reveal what is in them, as in the authentic hadith:Mishkat al-Masabih 3450, 3451. As long as he told you that he dislikes it, this means that either he is overpowered by his wife, or by an adult son he has, or by someone else, and so on. It is enough for you to hear from him what you heard of his dislike for it, and the matter is ended.
The questioner : May Allah bless you, Shaykh.
The Shaykh: And there is a bar.
The questioner : Does that mean, is it permissible for us to admonish people about something like this by saying, "Such a brother"?
The Shaykh : It is obligatory for him to admonish people.
The questioner : In a matter like this, it is permissible, if Allah wills.
The Shaykh : And may He bless you.
The questioner : One and a half.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. This is from our side, our Shaykh. It is clear from your side. No.
Another questioner : It will come, and it is the window. Yes? It hit us here. Evidence or laziness, this is better than what will come, which is the second interpretation.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : He has a television in his house. Does the verse of Allah the Exalted,
Do you order righteousness of the people and forget yourselves while you recite the Scripture? Then will you not reason?
أَتَأْمُرُونَ النَّاسَ بِالْبِرِّ وَتَنسَوْنَ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ تَتْلُونَ الْكِتَابَ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَThe Shaykh : You mean the television is in his house?
The questioner : Yes, it is in his house and he uses it just as people do. How does he listen to music, games, and these things on it?
The Shaykh : Well, why did you ask this question instead of asking the Shaykh whose house is free of a television?
The questioner : But I asked him a question, and I dislike him for it.
The Shaykh : How?
The questioner : You asked the question, and he said he dislikes it and hopes to remove it.
The Shaykh : Yes, that is enough.
The questioner : The master of the house, meaning he is the owner of the house and he practices what he commands.
The Shaykh : That is enough. He has given you the answer that should silence you, so perhaps you should be silent.
The questioner : The point is, does the verse apply to anything other than this? In other words, is it not sufficient to just recite it?
The Shaykh : May Allah guide you. Put this heat of yours in this question in a place other than this.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : First, the man may be one who is ruled over, or he may be a ruler. In that case, he may be excused, or he may not be excused in the sight of Allah. We cannot enter into people's hearts or reveal what is in them, as in the authentic hadith:
Why did you not split his heart?
هلا شققت عن قلبهThe questioner : May Allah bless you, Shaykh.
The Shaykh: And there is a bar.
The questioner : Does that mean, is it permissible for us to admonish people about something like this by saying, "Such a brother"?
The Shaykh : It is obligatory for him to admonish people.
The questioner : In a matter like this, it is permissible, if Allah wills.
The Shaykh : And may He bless you.
The questioner : One and a half.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. This is from our side, our Shaykh. It is clear from your side. No.
Another questioner : It will come, and it is the window. Yes? It hit us here. Evidence or laziness, this is better than what will come, which is the second interpretation.
The Shaykh : Yes.
Source
سلسلة الهدى والنور، رقم 1138 في قناة «تسجيلات الإمام الألباني - محمد أبو ليلى الأثري» — youtube.com (5:58)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.