THE FIQH DEPARTMENT

In the Name of Allah, The Most Beneficent, The Most Merciful.
Although every Fiqh opinion is based on evidence, often times, the scholars differ in their views. This room for differences is a mercy from Allah, and as long as there is evidence to support an opinion, then we must respect scholars' views, even if we may not always agree.
The Prophet (SAW) said:
"Whoever performs Ijtihad and errs will receive one reward. Whoever performs Ijtihad and arrives at the correct answer gets double the reward"
(Bukhari) 
Is TV Haram? PDF Print E-mail
Fiqh: Islamic Jurisprudence - Dawah: Calling to Allah
Written by Muhammad Nasir Ad-Din Al-Albany   

Question:

What is the ruling on the television?

 

Answer:

There is no doubt that the television today is impermissible (haraam). [This is] because the television is like the radio and tape recorder which are favours which Allaah has surrounded His slaves with. Allaah says:

"If you were to enumerate the favours of Allaah, you would not be able to to do" 

So the hearing is a favour, the seeing is a favour, [as are] the lips and the tongue. However, many of these favours bring about punishment and trial upon their people, due to them not utilising these [favours] as Allaah loves them to be utilised.

So I consider the radio, television and tape recorder to be favours. But when do they become favours? When they are used in a beneficial way for the [Muslim] nation.

The television today is 99% sinful, dissolute, [full of] immorality and unlawful sinning, and so on. It is possible that 1% of it shows things that some people benefit from, but the predominant case is to be given consideration. So when a true Muslim state exists which places beneficial and knowledgeable programs for the [Muslim] nation [on the television], then in that case I do not say that the television is permissible; rather I say that it is obligatory!

 

Sheikh Muhammad Nasir Ad-Din Al-Albany

Taken from Al-Asaalah Magazine, Number 10, Page 40.