The Harm of Obscene Magazines and Forbidding Them
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The honorable Shaykh! Images from imported magazines are displayed in commercial markets, shops, and grocery stores, showing women exposed to the eye, both outside and inside. Is it permissible for a person to tear up these images based on the hadith: (Whoever among you sees an evil...
)? And I do not know what the purpose is for bringing these magazines in? And why are they not prohibited?
The magazines you referred to undoubtedly disturb the mind and generate regret and sadness that such corrupt and harmful magazines should enter our country. Also, there are ideas in the magazines brought to us that are completely contrary to the religion and to morals, which may be more corrupting than a single obscene image.
As for the issue of changing it by hand, it results in greater harms than leaving it as is. It will not disappear either; if you tear it up, they buy a replacement, and harms occur. You know now, for example, if someone were to take this step without having authority from the one in authority, there would be harm not only to him but to all the callers to Allah, and people would form a bad image of the callers. Therefore, a person must be wise. If forbidding evil leads to something more evil and more harmful, and it does not change, then let him leave it, complain to Allah the Exalted and Majestic, and ask Allah the Exalted and Majestic to have mercy on the servants. He should leave it and address the responsible officials.
The questioner: He does not change it?The Shaykh: He does not change it; because he is unable to. This is why the wisdom of enjoining good and forbidding evil came. Allah commanded it without condition: [Al-Imran: 104] But changing it is with a condition: (Whoever among you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand, and if he cannot, then with his tongue). So the Shari'ah distinguished between enjoining good and forbidding evil and changing evil. So you are not sinful; but advise this man, command him to do good, forbid him from evil, warn him,and say: that what he has earned from these magazines is forbidden for him, and if his body is nourished by it, the Fire is more deserving of it, and such like of the known admonitions.
)? And I do not know what the purpose is for bringing these magazines in? And why are they not prohibited?
The magazines you referred to undoubtedly disturb the mind and generate regret and sadness that such corrupt and harmful magazines should enter our country. Also, there are ideas in the magazines brought to us that are completely contrary to the religion and to morals, which may be more corrupting than a single obscene image.
As for the issue of changing it by hand, it results in greater harms than leaving it as is. It will not disappear either; if you tear it up, they buy a replacement, and harms occur. You know now, for example, if someone were to take this step without having authority from the one in authority, there would be harm not only to him but to all the callers to Allah, and people would form a bad image of the callers. Therefore, a person must be wise. If forbidding evil leads to something more evil and more harmful, and it does not change, then let him leave it, complain to Allah the Exalted and Majestic, and ask Allah the Exalted and Majestic to have mercy on the servants. He should leave it and address the responsible officials.
The questioner: He does not change it?The Shaykh: He does not change it; because he is unable to. This is why the wisdom of enjoining good and forbidding evil came. Allah commanded it without condition: