What is the ruling on satellite dishes?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good. He says:The questioner : There is a fatwa attributed to your eminence regarding satellite dishes or their use, which is circulating among people. Is this from you, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : The satellite dish is known; it is the device that receives satellite channels. It has reached me that it contains calamity and evil in creed and morals that is not permissible for a Muslim to watch, and that it destroys creed, morals, and religion. Do you agree with what I have heard?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes, you agree with this. It has positive and beneficial aspects, but the majority of it, and the majority of what people receive from it, is evil and corruption. Now, a question: Is a man a shepherd over his household? Answer me.
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes, he is a shepherd over his household. And if he provides them with this satellite dish, is that an act of trust or an act of betrayal?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : It is an act of betrayal. Now, if you agree with me that the head of the household is a shepherd over his family, for Allah has appointed him as their shepherd, and Allah the Exalted said:[At-Tahrim 66:6] and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Then I and you have established that the man is a shepherd over his family, appointed by Allah and His Messenger as their shepherd. Do you agree, or do you not agree?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Now, point number two: If he provides this satellite dish for them, whether by buying it for them, or by enabling it, or by enabling them to buy and possess it, while he knows that they are watching these wicked films, is he a deceiver or an advisor?
The student: A deceiver.
The Shaykh : A deceiver. Do you understand now? We apply the texts to this situation. Listen, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih Muslim 142a What do you say now? Does this apply to the owner of the satellite dish or not? It applies. But here is an issue: this text is general. This text is general. It is not permissible to apply it to a specific individual such that we say, for example, to our neighbor, "If he leaves the satellite dish for his family, Allah has forbidden him Paradise." We do not say that. But we say in general terms: As for testifying to this specific man? No, we do not testify to that. And this is what caused some people to find this fatwa difficult.
The Shaykh : The satellite dish is known; it is the device that receives satellite channels. It has reached me that it contains calamity and evil in creed and morals that is not permissible for a Muslim to watch, and that it destroys creed, morals, and religion. Do you agree with what I have heard?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes, you agree with this. It has positive and beneficial aspects, but the majority of it, and the majority of what people receive from it, is evil and corruption. Now, a question: Is a man a shepherd over his household? Answer me.
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes, he is a shepherd over his household. And if he provides them with this satellite dish, is that an act of trust or an act of betrayal?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : It is an act of betrayal. Now, if you agree with me that the head of the household is a shepherd over his family, for Allah has appointed him as their shepherd, and Allah the Exalted said:
O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire
يا أيها الذين آمنوا قوا أنفسكم وأهليكم ناراA man is a shepherd over his family and is responsible for his flock.
الرجل راع في أهله ومسؤول عن رعيتهThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Now, point number two: If he provides this satellite dish for them, whether by buying it for them, or by enabling it, or by enabling them to buy and possess it, while he knows that they are watching these wicked films, is he a deceiver or an advisor?
The student: A deceiver.
The Shaykh : A deceiver. Do you understand now? We apply the texts to this situation. Listen, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: