Advice for those who watch television

Q: What is the ruling on watching television?

A: Watching television is very dangerous, and I advise against watching it and against sitting in front of it as much as possible. However, if the viewer has the strength to benefit from the good and is not led thereby to evil, there is no harm, provided he has that strength and knows it from himself. He can listen to what is good and benefit from it, and avoid what is evil, such as songs, evil statues, and things that harm the listener. There is no harm in that. But generally, it leads from one thing to another. Therefore, I advise against bringing it into homes and against watching it, because it leads from one thing to another, and because the soul is inclined to watch strange things before it. It is not like listening; listening is less dangerous. When one watches while listening, the soul is more inclined to it and more attached to it.
Worse and more evil than this is video, if it records obscene films that people circulate. We seek refuge in Allah. These obscene films on video have great evil. One must be cautious of them. It is obligatory for a person of sense, if he finds any of that, to tear up the film or to record something over it that removes the evil in it, if that is possible. He should record something beneficial over it to remove what is in it of evil, and benefit from his tapes by recording something beneficial on them.
Worse than that is the satellite dish. It is obligatory to be cautious of it and not to bring it into homes. May Allah protect the Muslims from the evil of all of them.