What is the meaning of the word *tamthil* (acting or drama) to which the prohibition pertains?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : O Shaykh Nasser, I think it would be useful here for you to explain to us the meaning of the word *tamthil* (acting or drama), because if someone were to come and say, "Ahmad went up on the right side of the stage, and Sa'id went up on the left side of the stage, and they met in the middle of the stage. Then Ahmad said to Sa'id, 'Will you teach me how to perform wudu' (ablution)?' So he took a pitcher of water as an example and performed wudu' in front of the audience,"
Or suppose, for example, that they both went up, and Ahmad said to Sa'id, "I know a man who is facing problems with his family regarding his commitment to Islam. What do you think he should do?" And Sa'id said, "Do this."
Then Ahmad said, "But for example, his father does such-and-such," and he said, "Do this." And in fact, he knows a person who suffers from this problem. I think there are types of things that may not be problematic from a Shari'ah perspective, but we need to clarify the meaning of the intended word *tamthil* (acting or drama) that was meant by the ruling you mentioned earlier.
The Shaykh : *Tamthil* (acting or drama), may Allah reward you, is well-known today and does not need clarification. A person usually needs clarification for something that is obscure. But when it is a reality, clarifying this reality is, as the jurists say in such cases, "achieving what is already achieved." The *tamthil* (acting or drama) that takes place today is clearly seen: for example, a man might be beardless, though Allah created him with a beard, but he adorns himself with disobedience to Allah by shaving his beard. Yet he wants to play the role of a pious, learned scholar or a mujahid in the path of Allah. What does he do? He takes a false beard to represent that person, who is a scholar or a mujahid or something similar. All the *tamthil* (acting or drama) that takes place today is based on the actor imitating someone who takes on the role of a king, a prince, a military commander, a servant, or something similar. These individuals, each of them, represents the life of a person whose life was previously mentioned in historical books. This is what needs *tamthil* (acting or drama) to be clarified.
As for some of the examples you gave, these come incidentally and do not become the purpose or an advertisement for the sake of introducing Muslims and bringing them to their religion, or the like. I do not think anyone, no matter how far removed from general conscious culture, needs us to explain to them what *tamthil* (acting or drama) is; it is clear. We mention what is closer to the examples you cited: hadiths, such as the hadith of Abu Humayd al-Sa'idi, which came in *Sahih al-Bukhari* in a shortened form and in *Sunan Abu Dawud* in a longer form. He said: We do not say that this is imitating the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) because he did not adorn himself with his attire. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), for example, had a thick beard, and we see among you now, what Allah willed, blessed beards, very light beards, and medium beards. The one who prays the prayer of the Prophet to teach people does not intend to imitate the Messenger, who had, for example, a noble and large beard. Abu Humayd's beard, for example, was light, meaning it was just a few hairs. So he is not representing the Messenger (peace be upon him), but he is narrating how the prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was.
Similarly, for example, the hadith of 'Uthman ibn 'Affan when he performed wudu' in front of them and said:Sunan Abi Dawud 613Sahih (Al-Albani) This does not contain *tamthil* (acting or drama), but rather it is a narration of what the Messenger (may Allah's prayer and peace be upon him) did. As for the narrative *tamthil* (acting or drama), these are in another category, and it is sufficient to say that they are not free from the violations I mentioned earlier.
The questioner : Shaykh, if it is free from *ikhtilat* (free mixing of men and women) and imitating women, and the purpose is not *da'wah* (calling others to Islam) or learning, but only for entertainment.
The Shaykh : I answered, I answered this. I said, how can it be taken as a means of *da'wah* (calling others to Islam) with these violations?
The questioner : It is not for *da'wah* (calling others to Islam), only for entertainment, for relaxing oneself.
The Shaykh : May Allah guide you. I was speaking in clear Arabic. I said, how can this *tamthil* (acting or drama), which contains these violations, be taken as a means? These *tamthil* (acting or drama) are prohibited. So how can it be taken as a means? We have two things: the one you asked about, I answered previously. *Tamthil* (acting or drama) is not free from these violations, so it is not permissible in the Shari'ah. So how can something that is not permissible in the Shari'ah be taken as a means for *da'wah* (calling others to Islam) to Islam? This is more reprehensible than the first. Yes.
Or suppose, for example, that they both went up, and Ahmad said to Sa'id, "I know a man who is facing problems with his family regarding his commitment to Islam. What do you think he should do?" And Sa'id said, "Do this."
Then Ahmad said, "But for example, his father does such-and-such," and he said, "Do this." And in fact, he knows a person who suffers from this problem. I think there are types of things that may not be problematic from a Shari'ah perspective, but we need to clarify the meaning of the intended word *tamthil* (acting or drama) that was meant by the ruling you mentioned earlier.
The Shaykh : *Tamthil* (acting or drama), may Allah reward you, is well-known today and does not need clarification. A person usually needs clarification for something that is obscure. But when it is a reality, clarifying this reality is, as the jurists say in such cases, "achieving what is already achieved." The *tamthil* (acting or drama) that takes place today is clearly seen: for example, a man might be beardless, though Allah created him with a beard, but he adorns himself with disobedience to Allah by shaving his beard. Yet he wants to play the role of a pious, learned scholar or a mujahid in the path of Allah. What does he do? He takes a false beard to represent that person, who is a scholar or a mujahid or something similar. All the *tamthil* (acting or drama) that takes place today is based on the actor imitating someone who takes on the role of a king, a prince, a military commander, a servant, or something similar. These individuals, each of them, represents the life of a person whose life was previously mentioned in historical books. This is what needs *tamthil* (acting or drama) to be clarified.
As for some of the examples you gave, these come incidentally and do not become the purpose or an advertisement for the sake of introducing Muslims and bringing them to their religion, or the like. I do not think anyone, no matter how far removed from general conscious culture, needs us to explain to them what *tamthil* (acting or drama) is; it is clear. We mention what is closer to the examples you cited: hadiths, such as the hadith of Abu Humayd al-Sa'idi, which came in *Sahih al-Bukhari* in a shortened form and in *Sunan Abu Dawud* in a longer form. He said:
Shall I show you the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)? They said: No, you are not more knowledgeable about his prayer than we are. He said: Yes, I am. They said: Then show it. So he began to pray.
ألا أصلي لكم صلاة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قالوا : لا لست بأعلم بصلاته منا قال: بلى ، قالوا: فاعرض ، فبدأ يصليSimilarly, for example, the hadith of 'Uthman ibn 'Affan when he performed wudu' in front of them and said:
I witnessed the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) doing similarly.
هكذا رأيت رسول الله يتوضأThe questioner : Shaykh, if it is free from *ikhtilat* (free mixing of men and women) and imitating women, and the purpose is not *da'wah* (calling others to Islam) or learning, but only for entertainment.
The Shaykh : I answered, I answered this. I said, how can it be taken as a means of *da'wah* (calling others to Islam) with these violations?
The questioner : It is not for *da'wah* (calling others to Islam), only for entertainment, for relaxing oneself.
The Shaykh : May Allah guide you. I was speaking in clear Arabic. I said, how can this *tamthil* (acting or drama), which contains these violations, be taken as a means? These *tamthil* (acting or drama) are prohibited. So how can it be taken as a means? We have two things: the one you asked about, I answered previously. *Tamthil* (acting or drama) is not free from these violations, so it is not permissible in the Shari'ah. So how can something that is not permissible in the Shari'ah be taken as a means for *da'wah* (calling others to Islam) to Islam? This is more reprehensible than the first. Yes.