Is it permissible to bring a video player into the house for the sake of the children?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : If a person does not have a video player and the children gather on Thursdays, causing a great deal of noise and mischief, is it good to bring in a video player in this case, or what should he do?
The Shaykh : I see that the video player is merely a machine. If you use it for good, it is good; if you use it for evil, it is evil; and if you use it for idle talk, it is idle talk. So let one look at what he will put in it. It may contain useful tapes of preaching, seminars, and the like, or it may contain corrupt things. The key is what is placed in this video player. If these boys do not stop making noise, running around, and causing destruction in the house, and perhaps they go out to the streets and to the neighbors, and if this cannot be prevented except by buying a video player, then buy them a video player, but put useful tapes in it. And peace be upon you.
The questioner : Is it the spider's web?
The Shaykh : Be patient, O men. You have no right, because he transgressed against you.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : He transgressed against you.
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : Good, if Allah wills. Do you allow him?
The Shaykh : I see that the video player is merely a machine. If you use it for good, it is good; if you use it for evil, it is evil; and if you use it for idle talk, it is idle talk. So let one look at what he will put in it. It may contain useful tapes of preaching, seminars, and the like, or it may contain corrupt things. The key is what is placed in this video player. If these boys do not stop making noise, running around, and causing destruction in the house, and perhaps they go out to the streets and to the neighbors, and if this cannot be prevented except by buying a video player, then buy them a video player, but put useful tapes in it. And peace be upon you.
The questioner : Is it the spider's web?
The Shaykh : Be patient, O men. You have no right, because he transgressed against you.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : He transgressed against you.
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : Good, if Allah wills. Do you allow him?