The Ruling on Acting or Drama

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Noble Shaykh! What is the ruling on acting or drama, and what are its guidelines?
The acting or drama they perform in summer camps and elsewhere, if it includes something forbidden, it is forbidden. For example, if one acts out the role of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), or the Companions, or the imams of the Muslims, this is forbidden; because no matter how the acting is done, it cannot reach their status, and it may be a lie about them. If one acts out a matter intended to address a social problem, there is nothing wrong with it, as long as it is not attributed to a specific person. If it is attributed to a specific person and it is a lie about him, it becomes forbidden because of the lie. Likewise, it is not permissible for a person to act out the role of a woman; this is forbidden; because if he does that, he has imitated women, and (the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) cursed the men who imitate women).
Likewise, it is not permissible to act out the role of an animal, such as barking like a dog or braying like a donkey, or the like, because Allah the Exalted did not mention the likeness of an animal except in a context of blame,Allah the Exalted said:

And recite to them, [O Muhammad], the news of him to whom we gave [knowledge of] Our signs, but he detached himself from them

وَاتْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ نَبَأَ الَّذِي آتَيْنَاهُ آيَاتِنَا فَانْسَلَخَ مِنْهَا

[Al-A'raf: 175].

until His saying:

So his example is like that of the dog: if you chase him, he pants, or if you leave him, he [still] pants

فَمَثَلُهُ كَمَثَلِ الْكَلْبِ إِنْ تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْهِ يَلْهَثْ أَوْ تَتْرُكْهُ يَلْهَثْ

[Al-A'raf: 176] And the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family): (The one who takes back his gift is like a dog that vomits and then returns to its vomit),And Allah the Exalted said:

The example of those who were entrusted with the Torah and then did not take it on is like that of a donkey who carries volumes [of books].

مَثَلُ الَّذِينَ حُمِّلُوا التَّوْرَاةَ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَحْمِلُوهَا كَمَثَلِ الْحِمَارِ يَحْمِلُ أَسْفَاراً

[Al-Jumu'ah: 5],And Allah the Exalted said:

⁽⁵⁰⁾ As if they were alarmed donkeys ⁽⁵¹⁾ Fleeing from a lion?

كَأَنَّهُمْ حُمُرٌ مُسْتَنْفِرَةٌ * فَرَّتْ مِنْ قَسْوَرَةٍ

[Al-Muddaththir: 50-51],And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: (The one who talks on Friday while the imam is delivering the sermon is like a donkey carrying books),And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: (Straighten yourselves in prostration, and let none of you spread his hands like a dog) So you will find that likening to an animal is entirely in a context of blame, and it is not befitting for a human being to lower himself to the level of blame.

Source shamela.ws

The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.

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