Is television forbidden in itself, or because of the forbidden programs broadcast on it? And what is the ruling on photographs?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : The last question is: the visual device, which is the television, is it forbidden in itself, or because of the topics that are broadcast, I mean?
The Shaykh : I cannot say yes or no, but rather we must know the ruling on images and image-making in Islam: is the original ruling permissibility, or is the original ruling prohibition? Based on this original ruling, the answer to some of what branches from it follows. The original ruling on image-making, as I think everyone knows, is that it is not permissible, it is not permissible to make an image of any of Allah’s (Mighty and Majestic) creations that have a soul, and this includes animals, whether speaking or silent, except what is necessitated by a pressing need or dire necessity. So here, when we say: photographs, are they permissible or forbidden? We cannot say they are forbidden except for what is absolutely necessary. Likewise, the television. The television is, in truth, one of the inventions that, in terms of its connection to images and image-making, is more dangerous and more strictly forbidden than static, non-moving images. But at the same time, if it is exempted from the prohibition, it is more beneficial than these static images. So the ruling on the television is like the ruling on photographic image-making and others: the original ruling is forbidden. So what is permissible due to dire necessity is permissible, whether it is photographic image-making or what relates to the television, this moving image-making.
The truth is that the current reality, observed in all the countries of the world, is that most of what is broadcast on television is harmful morally, religiously, socially, and so on. It is very, very rare that something can be broadcast that falls within the rule we mentioned, which exempts some images from the prohibition. And I give an important example to clarify that television is much more beneficial than image-making in what can be said to be permissible. We see, for example, every year, many Muslims head to the Sacred House as pilgrims or for the lesser pilgrimage. But, unfortunately, when they return and you contact one of them and ask how he circumambulated? How did he walk between al-Safa and al-Marwah? How did he spend the night? How did he stand at 'Arafah and Muzdalifah? and so on, you find them, I mean, at the height of ignorance regarding the rituals of Hajj. So I say: if the television were used in an Islamic state that cares to use the means that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) created in the present age, and it were used mostly in what Allah has not forbidden, but rather in what Allah has prescribed, I give an example of that: if the Saudi television, which governs the sacred lands "Mecca, and Medina .." and the like, if it broadcast on television the House of Allah "the Ka'bah" and a learned, virtuous man teaching people in all the lands of the world where to begin the circumambulation, and where it ends? And when to go to Zamzam and drink from there, then return and face the Black Stone, then go to stand on al-Safa and so on, there is no doubt that this, I say, is among the permissible images, indeed the obligatory ones, by analogy to the play of the Lady Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) permitted her to engage in, because of the training for this girl in what is called today household management, and teaching the Sacred House of Allah is undoubtedly much more important than this. But despite that, we do not find on television anything, I mean, that we can say: it is obligatory to display it to the Muslim masses so that they benefit from it in knowledge or lessons or the like.
In summary: television is like images; the original ruling for both is forbidden, but what is necessitated by a pressing need or dire necessity is permissible from both.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : And you as well, yes.
The Shaykh : I cannot say yes or no, but rather we must know the ruling on images and image-making in Islam: is the original ruling permissibility, or is the original ruling prohibition? Based on this original ruling, the answer to some of what branches from it follows. The original ruling on image-making, as I think everyone knows, is that it is not permissible, it is not permissible to make an image of any of Allah’s (Mighty and Majestic) creations that have a soul, and this includes animals, whether speaking or silent, except what is necessitated by a pressing need or dire necessity. So here, when we say: photographs, are they permissible or forbidden? We cannot say they are forbidden except for what is absolutely necessary. Likewise, the television. The television is, in truth, one of the inventions that, in terms of its connection to images and image-making, is more dangerous and more strictly forbidden than static, non-moving images. But at the same time, if it is exempted from the prohibition, it is more beneficial than these static images. So the ruling on the television is like the ruling on photographic image-making and others: the original ruling is forbidden. So what is permissible due to dire necessity is permissible, whether it is photographic image-making or what relates to the television, this moving image-making.
The truth is that the current reality, observed in all the countries of the world, is that most of what is broadcast on television is harmful morally, religiously, socially, and so on. It is very, very rare that something can be broadcast that falls within the rule we mentioned, which exempts some images from the prohibition. And I give an important example to clarify that television is much more beneficial than image-making in what can be said to be permissible. We see, for example, every year, many Muslims head to the Sacred House as pilgrims or for the lesser pilgrimage. But, unfortunately, when they return and you contact one of them and ask how he circumambulated? How did he walk between al-Safa and al-Marwah? How did he spend the night? How did he stand at 'Arafah and Muzdalifah? and so on, you find them, I mean, at the height of ignorance regarding the rituals of Hajj. So I say: if the television were used in an Islamic state that cares to use the means that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) created in the present age, and it were used mostly in what Allah has not forbidden, but rather in what Allah has prescribed, I give an example of that: if the Saudi television, which governs the sacred lands "Mecca, and Medina .." and the like, if it broadcast on television the House of Allah "the Ka'bah" and a learned, virtuous man teaching people in all the lands of the world where to begin the circumambulation, and where it ends? And when to go to Zamzam and drink from there, then return and face the Black Stone, then go to stand on al-Safa and so on, there is no doubt that this, I say, is among the permissible images, indeed the obligatory ones, by analogy to the play of the Lady Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) permitted her to engage in, because of the training for this girl in what is called today household management, and teaching the Sacred House of Allah is undoubtedly much more important than this. But despite that, we do not find on television anything, I mean, that we can say: it is obligatory to display it to the Muslim masses so that they benefit from it in knowledge or lessons or the like.
In summary: television is like images; the original ruling for both is forbidden, but what is necessitated by a pressing need or dire necessity is permissible from both.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : And you as well, yes.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.