Fatwa ID: 01408

Answered by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Question:

Watching TV

Answer:

In the name of Allah, the most Beneficent, the most Merciful.

The issue of watching television is not free from breaking various rulings of the Sharia. Such as:
·    Looking at unlawful women. Jarir ibn Abdullah narrates that I asked The Prophet of Allah about the sudden glance (that is cast) on the face (of a non-Mahram). He commanded me that I should turn away my eyes. (Muslim, 1015)
Allah in the Holy Qur’an has said:
“Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts). That is purer for them. Verily, Allah is All-Aware of what they do. And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts)” (Surah Noor v.30-v.31)
·    Listening to Music. 
Allah  in the Holy Qur’an has said ‘And there are among men, those that purchase idle tales, to mislead (men) from the path of Allah and through ridicule.  For such there will be a humiliating punishment. (Surah Luqman v.6)
The tafsir of the word Lahwal-Hadith (idle-tales means music as explained by Saaiduna Abdullah Ibn Masud (see Sunan Baihaqi p.223 v.1) and by Saaiduna Ibn Abbas Radiallahu Anhu (Sunan Baihaqi p.221 v.1)
Imran bin Hussain narrates that the Prophet of Allah said ‘This ummah will experience the swallowing up of some people by the earth, metamorphosis of some into animals, and being rained upon with stones’.  A man amongst the Muslims asked: ‘O Prophet of Allah! When will this be?’ He said: ‘When female singers and musical instruments appear and alcohol will be consumed’ (Sunan Tirmizi p.44 v.2)
Saaiduna Ali Ibn Talib  narrates that the Prophet of Allah said ‘When my ummah begin doing fifteen things, they will be inflicted with tribulations. And (from those fifteen) he said: ‘When female singers and musical instruments become common’ (Sunan Tirmizi p.44 v.2)
·    Sometimes there may be contents of sexual nature. 
Saaiduna Abu Hurairah narrates that the Prophet of Allah said, “Allah has written the very portion of zina which a man may indulge in. There will be no escape from it.  The zina of the eye is the lustful look, the zina of the ears is the listening, the zina of the tongue is the speech, the zina of the hand is the grip, the zina of the feet is the walking (to the place to commit zina), the heart yearns and desires and the private parts approve all that or disprove it.” (Sahih Bukhari)

Only Allah Knows Best

Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham.