What is the ruling on owning a television set, and is it permissible to appear on it with the intention of calling people to Allah?
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The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : The television is, in reality, like the radio in some respects. It is not possible for all people to benefit from every aspect of both the radio and the television, just as it is not possible to benefit from these recorders entirely. Therefore, we do not look at the radio device as a device and say it is lawful or forbidden, and likewise we do not look at the television as a device and say it is lawful or forbidden, just as with the recorder. Rather, we look at what comes out of each of these three machines: the recorder, the radio, and the television. If what comes out of it is sound or imagery that is permissible by the Shari'ah and benefits all people, then using these machines in this state is permissible. However, if what is heard or seen from these machines is not permissible by the Shari'ah to be seen in reality, then it is not permissible at that time to see it on the television screen, or to hear it from the radio or the recorder. These devices are, in reality, like the tongue, this piece of flesh that Allah created between a person's jaws. If you use it for good, it is good for you; if you use it for evil, it is evil for you; and if you use it for what is permissible, it is permissible for you. Likewise, wealth is a blessing from among the blessings of Allah. All these organs we mentioned, such as the tongue and this wealth, if you spend it in the path of Allah, it is a blessing for you, and if you spend it in disobedience to Allah, it is a curse upon you. Since the predominant content on television today is such that its evil predominates over its good, we advise that it not be used in the homes of Muslims until the programs broadcast on these screens and televisions change and their good predominates over their evil. At that time, it will be permissible to use them, otherwise not.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : ... .
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : The discussion returns, then, to what we said earlier.
The questioner : This encourages owning a television.
The Shaykh : It does not encourage it, if you understood the issue as we explained it earlier. We are talking about owning a television: is the predominant aspect of it good or evil? If, for example, a scholarly session is sometimes broadcast on the screen, but what is broadcast and shown from other sessions is much more, and those are undoubtedly evil, then one looks at the predominant use of this television. The issue has two sides. One is: is it permissible for me to bring a television into my home? The answer is as I mentioned earlier. But is it permissible for me to appear on the screen? My personal opinion on this matter is that my appearance on the screen yields no benefit. What is beneficial is hearing my voice, my preaching, my guidance, and my teaching. Therefore, I do not participate in such a forum in person, because I do not see any benefit in it. At the same time, I might encourage other heedless people to own a television because Shaykh So-and-So appears and delivers a speech, whereas it is clearly possible to benefit from this scholar via the radio, as we said before. So there is no necessity for the scholar to appear on television. I consider this one of the harms of the present age. So the issue has two sides: Do we own a television? We say no, because its evil predominates over its good. Is it permissible for a student of knowledge to be in these forums? I do not see that, but perhaps the forums are broadcast via radio and not via television. Please go ahead.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : No, the one behind you.
The Shaykh : The television is, in reality, like the radio in some respects. It is not possible for all people to benefit from every aspect of both the radio and the television, just as it is not possible to benefit from these recorders entirely. Therefore, we do not look at the radio device as a device and say it is lawful or forbidden, and likewise we do not look at the television as a device and say it is lawful or forbidden, just as with the recorder. Rather, we look at what comes out of each of these three machines: the recorder, the radio, and the television. If what comes out of it is sound or imagery that is permissible by the Shari'ah and benefits all people, then using these machines in this state is permissible. However, if what is heard or seen from these machines is not permissible by the Shari'ah to be seen in reality, then it is not permissible at that time to see it on the television screen, or to hear it from the radio or the recorder. These devices are, in reality, like the tongue, this piece of flesh that Allah created between a person's jaws. If you use it for good, it is good for you; if you use it for evil, it is evil for you; and if you use it for what is permissible, it is permissible for you. Likewise, wealth is a blessing from among the blessings of Allah. All these organs we mentioned, such as the tongue and this wealth, if you spend it in the path of Allah, it is a blessing for you, and if you spend it in disobedience to Allah, it is a curse upon you. Since the predominant content on television today is such that its evil predominates over its good, we advise that it not be used in the homes of Muslims until the programs broadcast on these screens and televisions change and their good predominates over their evil. At that time, it will be permissible to use them, otherwise not.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : ... .
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : The discussion returns, then, to what we said earlier.
The questioner : This encourages owning a television.
The Shaykh : It does not encourage it, if you understood the issue as we explained it earlier. We are talking about owning a television: is the predominant aspect of it good or evil? If, for example, a scholarly session is sometimes broadcast on the screen, but what is broadcast and shown from other sessions is much more, and those are undoubtedly evil, then one looks at the predominant use of this television. The issue has two sides. One is: is it permissible for me to bring a television into my home? The answer is as I mentioned earlier. But is it permissible for me to appear on the screen? My personal opinion on this matter is that my appearance on the screen yields no benefit. What is beneficial is hearing my voice, my preaching, my guidance, and my teaching. Therefore, I do not participate in such a forum in person, because I do not see any benefit in it. At the same time, I might encourage other heedless people to own a television because Shaykh So-and-So appears and delivers a speech, whereas it is clearly possible to benefit from this scholar via the radio, as we said before. So there is no necessity for the scholar to appear on television. I consider this one of the harms of the present age. So the issue has two sides: Do we own a television? We say no, because its evil predominates over its good. Is it permissible for a student of knowledge to be in these forums? I do not see that, but perhaps the forums are broadcast via radio and not via television. Please go ahead.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : No, the one behind you.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.