The Ruling on Keeping a Television and Video Player
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Some people know that keeping a television is forbidden, yet they have one in their home.And he says: I am unable to remove it from the house; because if I remove it, the children and family will go to the neighbors or their relatives and watch things that are worse than what they watch at my place.
Our answer to this is that we say: If this man is strong enough to prevent his family and children from going out, let him prevent them. Or, if he can provide them with things to watch via video that are permissible, then it is not permissible for him to keep the television, according to his belief—I mean: he believes it is forbidden—as for if he is unable to do either of these, there is no doubt that committing the lesser of two harms to avert the greater is wisdom. So he keeps it with him and strives to be present when it is turned on, so that they do not turn it on to what is prohibited. He seeks the help of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in this, and there is no blame on him, if Allah wills.
So the answer is: First: if he has the ability to prevent them, let him do so.
Second: And if he does not have the ability to prevent them, let him provide them with a video player to show them permissible things.
Third: And if that is not possible, then keeping the television in the house and limiting the harms is better than them going outside the house; because this leads to more harms than watching television.
Our answer to this is that we say: If this man is strong enough to prevent his family and children from going out, let him prevent them. Or, if he can provide them with things to watch via video that are permissible, then it is not permissible for him to keep the television, according to his belief—I mean: he believes it is forbidden—as for if he is unable to do either of these, there is no doubt that committing the lesser of two harms to avert the greater is wisdom. So he keeps it with him and strives to be present when it is turned on, so that they do not turn it on to what is prohibited. He seeks the help of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in this, and there is no blame on him, if Allah wills.
So the answer is: First: if he has the ability to prevent them, let him do so.
Second: And if he does not have the ability to prevent them, let him provide them with a video player to show them permissible things.
Third: And if that is not possible, then keeping the television in the house and limiting the harms is better than them going outside the house; because this leads to more harms than watching television.