Islamic Tv Channels Haram ?
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I recently read an article in Jung magazine (of Pakistan) that says Television is Haram and teaching of Islam on television and the banking systems that banks of Pakistan follow are haram. I have not been in any Islamic school in Pakistan that focuses on Islam so I am not so sure how the system works. One thing I found very much out of proportion was that there was not a single reference either from the Quran or the Hadiths that prohibit it.
I have heard this earlier that TV is haram. According to what I have learnt Tv is not haram and you do not need a Hadith or a Quranic verse to Prove that one can simply prove it with logic. If I have a television sitting at home that has never been turned on and is not plugged in is having that television haram ? The other argument might be the television is not haram as long as you do not plug it in. I might agree with that logic but lets compare the situations and see what is different. When the television is powered of it has no channels but when the television is powered on, it does so the television on its own is not haram but what you watch on the television depending on what it is might be haram or halal. So the first point I would like to establish is Television is Halal depending on what you watch on it. The article states that the people who do Dawah on television or Islamic lectures are Haram because it’s a form of video. I do not exactly know what the references are for this or whether this was the statement because the article said it’s Haram. There was no logical, scientific or Islamic reasoning given. What I do know for a fact gaining knowledge for a Muslim is farz. Also the fact that Islam says to gain knowledge and tells you to preach (correct Islamic knowledge with references) . In fact that was the whole mission of the apostle, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). It is mentioned in Surah Nahl Chapter 16 verse 35 The worshippers of false gods say: “If Allah had so willed, we should not have worshipped aught but Him - neither we nor our fathers,- nor should we have prescribed prohibitions other than His.” So did those who went before them. But what is the mission of apostles but to preach the Clear Message?
The problem stated was that the problem is with teaching on television. The word television does not appear in the Quran nor does it appear in Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Maliks Muwatta and Sunan Abudawud. This could be explained as Television or form of videos was not invented during that time .This further gives room to ponder that Islam will only forbid something which is either harmful to health or morally wrong . Islam has everything stated very clearly and the concept of doing Dawah was the mission of the Prophet so therefore can not be false. What I fail to understand is how this concept has been derived. According to my knowledge of Islam this can not be Haram in fact doing Dawah is farz and doing Daawah to millions is better then doing in your own community to a hand full of people. Television gives a larger audience to preach . Also the constant media propaganda and open obscenity can be outnumbered by increasing the number of true Islamic channels . If there is a platform to easily spread knowledge among people I think it should be appreciated . Television and media are a means of global communications and hence there is no apparent harm in using them , provided that boundaries of ethics in Islam are followed . An example of using communication to spread Islam can be seen when Prophet wrote letters to kings in nearby Kingdoms inviting them to Islam . This shows that Prophet too utilized the mode of communication available to spread the word of ALLAH . For the Banking culture in Pakistan if it is Ribba Free banking according to shariah then it can not be deemed Haraam . The Quran clearly states : Those who eat Riba (usury) will not stand (on the Day of Resurrection) except like the standing of a person beaten by Shaitan (Satan) leading him to insanity. That is because they say: “Trading is only like Riba (usury),” whereas Allah has permitted trading and forbidden Riba (usury). So whosoever receives an admonition from his Lord and stops eating Riba (usury) shall not be punished for the past; his case is for Allah (to judge); but whoever returns (to Riba (usury)), such are the dwellers of the Fire - they will abide therein.
(Al-Baqara, Chapter #2, Verse #275)
Allah will destroy Riba (usury) and will give increase for Sadaqat (deeds of charity, alms, etc.) And Allah likes not the disbelievers, sinners. ( Al-Baqara, Chapter #2, Verse #276) O you who believe! Eat not Riba (usury) doubled and multiplied, but fear Allah that you may be successful. ( Aal-e-Imran, Chapter #3, Verse #130) To further highlight the concept of banking in Islam , I would Inshallah do a separate post to cover the aspect INSHALLAH.
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This entry was posted on Friday, August 29th, 2008 at 7:11 pm and is filed under Islam . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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boundary, i feel is very important. if i do any thing that is within the PRESCRIBED CONCEPTS then it is right, right? Islam gives concepts and you have to ride on them apart from that there is an important question…if the end result is right but the way to achieve it is slightly dubious would it be wrong?
what is it for a common man to follow when there are various opinions and fatwas on the same issue?
QURAN was revealed to all and I believe it is very important for everyone of us to read and understand its teachings ! it is made understandable for all and thereby nay confusions can be combated with what seems closest to logic blended with Islamic knowledge.
Indeed those bunch of scholars and the publicity they got was nothing more then a confusion for an already confused muslim nation. I must say that they have done a pretty good job in enlarging the grey areas that were never part of islam
yes true!! Thanks waqas for a brilliant article and thanks mansoor for initiating the topic !! *thumbs up* to the team !!
i can give a crushing reply to this ridiculous post but i know my comment will be deleted as usual so why bother.
“The article states that the people who do Dawah on television or Islamic lectures are Haram because it’s a form of video. I do not exactly know what the references are for this or whether this was the statement because the article said it’s Haram”
Videos are formed by putting a lot of pictures together. Cartoons were made by putting tons of pictures together. Videos are basically a lot of pictures passing through at a fraction of a second. So, why are videos haram. Because pictures are haram.
Details are on http://www.learnaboutmagic.blogspot.com
i wrote 3 posts on chowrangi about these so called “Islamic” channels, exposing them. You people might be interested.
It’s very unfortunate that distance between Islam and Muslims is increasing day by day and that is all because of these Mullas and so called aalims. Islam can’t be so difficult as they say we are not allowed to watch TV. The hadith which they quote as a base is like
Imagining photos of living creatures and then drawing them is prohibited because this thing is only attributed to Allah ( Al Musawwir )
I am not a religious scholar so I cannot convince that effectively, but lets see what Dr. Zakir Naik (the renowned Islamic Scholar) has to say about it.
He explained this issue in various talks including “Media and Muslim” and “Islamic Media”. Dr. Zakir says that a photo or a video camera doesn’t imagine anything on its own, it just captures the moment whatever is happening. So it is not proved in anyway that Photography and Video recording is Haram.
Therefor watching TV, recording videos, photos is absolutely Halal and permitted under circumstances ofcourse as what you are watching.
And some people here who are exposing Islamic channels are requested not to malign Islam and expose yourself first.
Farhan Janjua
Guppu.Com
To those arguing that “photo or a video camera doesn’t imagine anything on its own, it just captures the moment whatever is happening” or “cameras are like mirrors”… ok that’s true to a point… the camera simply captures an image on a negative or film, or other surface. As a computer scientist, I would go along with you that far. But then, as ‘ulama in the past have also understood, how did that captured image become reproduced on a paper or on a monitor or TV screen? That involves some human activity and effort to reproduce the image… and this is the act, or reproducing animate images, that is haraam (forbidden), whether you do it directly, i.e. by drawing with a pencil directly on paper, or seeming indirectly, i.e. by using a machine/technology that hides what is happening so you don’t even realize what you are doing. A lot of research goes into designing cameras that can capture and reproduce pictures “as lifelike and beautiful” as possible… so I’m sorry, but that excuse seeking to make cameras/picture taking permissible in this age does not carry any logical weight with me as a scientist.
was-salaam, nadeem
I am an Electrical and Electronics Engineer.
I can prove it practically that the TV and Video Cameras are actually based on functionalities of the still pictures which are electronically created, sent through a defined medium in the form of compression and rarefaction, and then again regenrated on the destinition using antenas, cathode ray tubes etc…
This speedy, invisible and modern form of creating picture, sending them to remote distances and regenerating them, exactly resembles the phenomena of making the multiple pictures of living being by hand on a paper and displaying them frequently so that one thinks that there is some kind of movement involved.Just as when a person flicker the finge to and fro quickly, we see a continuous image not a single finger. This impression is now modernazied and nothing is changed.
So according to me as living being’s picture is haram hence anything related ot TV or Camera is haram even if it is Dawat of Islam. As you can well judge that one cannot say namaz in napaaak cloths, he or she should be paaak before saying namaz similarly there are some faraaizz to be fulfilled before tableegh. if those are not fulfilled, the ammal will not be acceptable to Allah. I can debate on this with the references from Quran and Hadis if any one interested but right now do not have much time as I am abroad.
May Allah safe us from exaggerations khawahish e nafs. And guide us all to the right path in the light of Quran and Sunnah
@ Brother Hafeez
What you are talking about is very different, if this is the case then if I can remember the face of a person I have taken a picture of it in my mind and therefore that should also be Haraam. It is illogical.
And most of the Aalims today say if not all that if you watch good things on TV it is Halal. This is only a dispute on Peace Tv because it closing their shops and the real Islam is spreading. If this is not the case then why is Peace Tv the only Islamic teaching banned in Pakistan and no other ?
Because they dont want the real Islam to spread because it is closing their shop. All a propoganda to fit their own needs.
Shows how muslims, instead of submitting to the teachings of Islam, are trying their best to turn Haram into Halal. Let me ask, even if you are successful in doing so, will it stop you eman from decreasing. Also know that angels don’t enter a house with pictures.
REGARDING TELEVISION
Many people argue that T.V. is not haram since whatever is on screen is not a picture since it is in motion and therefore cannot come under the prohibition of animate pictures.
The answer is that the illusion of motion in television is produced by showing 30 still pictures, or frames, each second. Through persistence of vision the brain retains each picture until the next comes along. We are not aware of the fact that our eyes are really seeing a rapidly changing sequence of a large number of slightly different still pictures.
T.V. is a medium whose life and existence is dependent on pictures and the institution of picture production. Without pictures there is no television.
T.V. is a medium that not only displays, but also actually produces pictures. By switching on your TV set you are actually assisting in the production of pictures.
REGARDING PHOTOGRAPHY
Pictures of animate beings are haram, whether they are human or other creatures, whether they are three-dimensional or two-dimensional, whether they are printed, drawn, etched, engraved, carved, cast in moulds, etc. Muslims should submit to the teachings of Islam and not argue with them by saying, “But I am not worshipping them or prostrating to them!†If we think about just one aspect of the evil caused by the prevalence of photographs and pictures in our times, we will understand something of the wisdom behind this prohibition: that aspect is the great corruption caused by the provoking of physical desires and subsequent spread of immorality caused by these pictures. Muslims should not keep any pictures of animate beings in his house, because they will prevent the angels from entering.
But nowadays, unfortunately, one can even find in some Muslim homes statues of gods worshipped by non-muslims (e.g.buddha) which they keep on the basis that they are antiques or decorative pieces. These things are more strictly prohibited than others, just as pictures which are hung up are worse than pictures which are not hung up, for how easily they can lead to glorification, and cause grief or be a source of boasting! We cannot say that these pictures are kept for memory’s sake, because true memories of a Muslim relative or friend reside in the heart, and we remember them by praying for mercy and forgiveness for them.
Taking pictures with a camera involves human actions such as focusing, pressing the shutter, developing, printing, and so on. We cannot call it anything other than “picture-making†or tasweer, which is the expression used by all Arabic-speakers to describe this action.In the book Al-I’laam bi naqd kitaab al-halaal wa’l-haraam, the author says: “Photography is even more of an imitation of the creation of Allah than pictures which are engraved or drawn, so it is even more deserving of being prohibited… There is nothing that could exclude photography from the general meaning of the reports.†Among the scholars who have discussed the issue of photography is Shaikh Nasir al-Deen al-Albaani, who said: “Some of them differentiate between hand-drawn pictures and photographic images by claiming that the latter are not products of human effort, and that no more is involved than the mere capturing of the image. This is what they claim. The tremendous energy invested by the one who invented this machine that can do in few seconds what otherwise could not be done in hours does not count as human effort, according to these people! Pointing the camera, focusing it, and taking the picture, preceded by installation of the film and followed by developing and whatever else that I may not know about… none of this is the result of human effort, according to them!Some of them explain how this photography is done, and summarize that no less than eleven different actions are involved in the making of a picture. In spite of all this, they say that this picture is not the result of human action!
Can it be allowed to hang up a picture of a man, for example, if it is produced by photography, but not if it is drawn by hand?Those who say that photography is permitted have “frozen†the meaning of the word “tasweer,†restriciting it only to the meaning known at the time of Prophet Mohammad and not adding the meaning of photography, which is “tasweer†or “picture-making†in every sense - linguistic, legal, and in its harmful effects, and as is clear from the definition mentioned above. By the same token, you could allow idols which have not been carved but have been made by pressing a button on some machine that turns out idols by the dozen. What do you say to that?â€
My brother, Tv is Haram depending on what you watch, if your watching a video of hajj, is that also haraam ? Its simple logic. Nearly every famous scholar comes on tv, there is adhaan on tv, namaaz on tv, majlis on tv, halaka on tv is that all wrong ?
Sorry I missed your question.
Namaz, Majlis and Halaka on TV is wrong. When Allah SWT and His Prophet say something, there is no room for discussion, debate or argument.
Sir, you are wrong in stating that neary every single scholar comes on TV. It is the Saudis who are obsessed with TV and Pakistan is following suit.
Best Regards.
I admit I can’t follow the above. As far as I can tell all the pages on this site have pictures of all or part of people and if thats nt on it would be a duller viewing experience.
I can state the obvious though. You will always have conflict between literal teachings a thousands years old and today. And these will increase as time goes by. What would Islam have to say about immersive virtual reality delivered via jacks in your skul for example? What if this gave an overwealming tactical advantage in the air for pilots, would Islamic countries be forced to follow suit? Or might the Pak air force of the future be nothing but Hindus, Sikhs and Christain pilots?
Okay its somewhat science fiction, but you will always have yto in some cases extrapolate. And more and more as the decades past Muslims will have to apply the spirit of the faith, instead of the letter. By all means be steeped in Islamic jurisprudence but at the end of the day an element of common sense and interpretation will come in. Some questions are impossible to divine. Would the Prophet have been against nuclear weapons? Threat as they are to the existence of humanity and even Gods creation itself. Is this hubris or similar? And so on. But try and find an Islamic gov that would turn them down (which of course highlights the difference between an Islamic goverment and an idealised Islamic goverment!).
I really hate these Mullahs who think that one cannot deviate one inch from Quran and Sunnah. If that was the case it would be impossible to do Dawah. These misguided folks are so convinced that their faith will take them to Jannah that they are prepared to declare Dawah on TV as Haraam. I ask them , shut down all TV and then see what happens to Islam. The benefits of Dawah and other Islamic programmes on TV are far more beneficial than adhering to all the Hadees. No one is perfect in observing Islam - this is a sign of Qiyamah. We will get more sawaab by doing Dawah - which is a very azeem ibadat indeed , than we will get gunaah by flouting one Hadees. Ask these mad mullahs , who are concerned abt only their won Akhirah and not giving Dawah to others , to piss off. We should shut their mouths with some money. Even if they do not shut up , we should ignore them. A mad Mullah sitting in a corner of his house , condemning TV , will get much less Sawaab for this act of his , than Dr. Zakir Naik would by giving Dawah on TV. And Allah knows best.