Fatwa ID: 08987
Answered by Maulana Abdurrahman Persaud
Question:
Assalamu alaikum. I am writing a novel with the intention of raising awareness about orphaned children and the importance of compassion. One main character is a woman who works as a prostitute due to poverty. The story:
Shows her hating this work and suffering from it
It is depicted only briefly (one chapter) to establish her circumstances
Shows her leaving that life completely
Ends with her adopting an orphan and finding redemption
The overall message is about mercy, found family, and hope
My questions:
Is it permissible to write such a story given the redemptive arc and positive message?
Does depicting (not promoting) haram activities for literary/moral purposes constitute sin?
How can I handle this topic with maximum Islamic adab while being truthful to the reality many face?
Could such a book be sadaqah jariyah if it inspires people to help orphans and show mercy?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
There is a hadith of the beloved Prophet ﷺ. “actions being judged by their intentions,” which scholars have elaborated extensively on. Considering this hadith, you can write on such topics with the correct intentions of bringing about awareness, dislike, and consequences of such actions without having intentions of promoting and encouraging them.[1]
In such instances where the objective is clear and far from the cause of promoting it, but rather discouraging it, it would not be considered to be sinful to indulge in writing about these topics.[2]
A few guidelines on how to approach this topic with Islamic principles:
- One should try not to elaborate on the details of such actions.
- It should not be too long or mentioned too often as to create a rhetoric in the reader’s mind or leave a negative imprint.
- The purpose of mentioning such action should be highlighted and clear to the reader.
- Outlining the harms and consequences should have a major part as well.
A hadith of the Holy Prophet ﷺ states: “whosoever indicates towards a path of goodness it is as if he has done it.” If, after reading the book, a person feels inspired to do good, it will definitely be a means of reward for you and a continuous form of reward.[3]
Only Allah ﷻ knows best.
Written by Maulana Abdurrahman Persaud
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
References:
[1]
عَنْ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَبِي حَفْصٍ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ:
سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ: ” إنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّاتِ، وَإِنَّمَا لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مَا نَوَى، فَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ إلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ فَهِجْرَتُهُ إلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ، وَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ لِدُنْيَا يُصِيبُهَا أَوْ امْرَأَةٍ يَنْكِحُهَا فَهِجْرَتُهُ إلَى مَا هَاجَرَ إلَيْهِ”.
رَوَاهُ إِمَامَا الْمُحَدِّثِينَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ مُحَمَّدُ بنُ إِسْمَاعِيل بن إِبْرَاهِيم بن الْمُغِيرَة بن بَرْدِزبَه الْبُخَارِيُّ الْجُعْفِيُّ [رقم:1]، وَأَبُو الْحُسَيْنِ مُسْلِمٌ بنُ الْحَجَّاج بن مُسْلِم الْقُشَيْرِيُّ النَّيْسَابُورِيُّ [رقم:1907] رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا فِي “صَحِيحَيْهِمَا” اللذَينِ هُمَا أَصَحُّ الْكُتُبِ الْمُصَنَّفَةِ.
[2]
ص664 – الدر المختار شرح تنوير الأبصار وجامع البحار – حديث حدثوا عن بني إسرائيل يفيد حل مساع الاعاجيب والغرائب
من كل ما لا يتيقن كذبه بقصد الفرجة لا الحجة – المكتبة الشاملة
ص422 – حاشية ابن عابدين = رد المحتار ط الحلبي –
الْقَصَصُ الْمَكْرُوهُ أَنْ يُحَدِّثَهُمْ بِمَا لَيْسَ لَهُ أَصْلٌ مَعْرُوفٌ أَوْ يَعِظَهُمْ بِمَا لَا يُتَّعَظُ بِهِ أَوْ يَزِيدَ وَيُنْقِصَ يَعْنِي فِي أَصْلِهِ، أَمَّا لِلتَّزَيُّنِ بِالْعِبَارَاتِ اللَّطِيفَةِ الْمُرَقَّقَةِ وَالشَّرْحِ لِفَوَائِدِهِ فَذَلِكَ حَسَنٌ – المكتبة الشاملة
[3]
وعن أبي مسعود عقبة بن عمرو الأنصاري البدي رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: ”من دل على خير فله مثل أجر فاعله” ((رواه مسلم)).