Fatwa ID: 08613

 

 

Answered by: Maulana Sakib Shadman

 

Question:

 

My question is regarding screenwriting or screenplay writing and the ruling on potential income that it can generate. I will try my best to write the question as comprehensively as possible, as I understand that “the jurisconsult is the prisoner of the questioner.”

 

A screeplay is simply a fictional story written in a particular format, it is considered intellectual property. The exercise of writing a screenplay is called screenwriting. The format is such that it assumes that the story will be presented on a screen. How exactly that is done is mainly upto the director, my question is not about directing, only about screenwriting. Thus, my question is not about filmmaking or movies as a whole. I shall be assuming an ideal screenplay that does not have any haram elements, by which I mean if it was written in a fictional story book’s format it would be halal, and I shall also be assuming that the only involvement the screenwriter had, was writing the screenplay, nothing more. Now, there are numerous ways someone who wrote a screenplay could end up getting paid:

 

First, is simply that the screenwriter sells the screenplay for a particuar sum of money and writing credits. After this agreement is done, that’s it, the screenwriter is no more involved with the screenplay and what is done with it. It may be possible that the new owner changes the screenplay to include haram elements, and then makes a movie out of it. The caveat is that the original screenwriter had sold the screenplay for writing credits, so, if the new owner adds haram elements and makes a movie out of it, the name of the original screenwriter would be present somewhere in the credits. Would the original screenwriter’s income generated from the original halal screenplay (sans haram elements) be halal?

 

Second, the screenwriter could enter a contest. If the screenplay wins, they are awarded prize money. Some contests have entry fees, some do not. Would this prize money be halal/haram in both types of contests (paid to enter/free to enter)?

 

Third, a screenwriter could review the screenplay of another screenwriter. If that screenplay gets sold, sometimes the reviewer get a percentage of the money.  Would the money that the reviewer got be halal? What if the screenplay he reviewed in this case had some haram elements? What would be the ruling on the money in both cases?

 

Fourth, a screenwriter could enter an agreement where he knows that the screenplay will be made into a movie, and then whatever money the movie makes, he will recieve a percentage of that. Again, in this case the screenwriter originally wrote a halal screenplay but what happens with it afterwords is out of his hand. Also sometimes there are elemetns that might not be haram in a story but could be haram when they are presented in  a movie (for example a woman combing her hair). In this case the screenwriter knows the screenplay will become a movie (unlike in the very first case where he simply sold the screenplay). Would this income be halal?

 

 

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

 

 

Answer:

 

First and foremost, writing fictional stories in any format is only permissible as long as there is some benefit (e.g. educational or historical content), advice, or a moral lesson attached to the story.

 

Furthermore, there should be no lewdness, immodesty, nor UnIslamic/Haram content inside the story.

 

As for screenplay writing, Allah Ta’ala says in the Holy Quran:

 

 وَتَعَاوَنُوا۟ عَلَى ٱلۡبِرِّ وَٱلتَّقۡوَىٰۖ وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا۟ عَلَى ٱلۡإِثۡمِ وَٱلۡعُدۡوَ ٰ⁠نِۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ شَدِیدُ ٱلۡعِقَابِ }

[Surah Al-Māʾidah: 2]

 

And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression. And fear Allāh; indeed, Allāh is severe in penalty.

 

There is a difference of opinion between Ulema whether film making is permissible or not in the first place due to the prohibition of creating images (تَصْوِير), and due to the high likelihood that the film will contain Haram elements. As a screenplay writer, you are assisting film makers to produce films which as you mentioned, may contain Haram content. Allah Ta’ala orders us to assist one another in righteousness and piety, as opposed to sin and aggression. As a screenplay writer, you could potentially facilitate the production of Haram films by providing film makers with the initial blueprint they require to create a story. For this reason, it is advisable to find a career which allows you to contribute to society in a more fruitful manner.

 

Even if we consider the more lenient opinion, which allows the production of films which only contain permissible content;

 

• In the fourth scenario, the income made from a film containing Haram elements in which you receive a percentage of the film revenue would indeed be Haram. Your income in the fourth scenario would only be Halal if the filmmaker did not add any Haram elements into his film, including showing a woman’s hair/Awrah. Thus even though you did not add the Haram elements to the film, it will not be permissible for you to earn a percentage of the Haram revenue generated from the showing of this film to the public.

 

• In the third scenario, it would be permissible for you to earn a percentage from a screenplay which contains ONLY halal elements. Otherwise if the screenplay contains Haram elements, you MUST avoid reviewing such a screenplay.

 

• In the second scenario, it is NOT permissible to enter a competition in which there is an entry fee, unless the entrance fees are charged in order to cover the cost of hosting the competition. In that case the paying of the entrance fee is permissible as one is receiving a service in exchange for the fee. Competitions with no entrance fee are permissible to enter, and the prize money will be considered as a gift which is also permissible to receive.

 

• In the first scenario, if the director/ filmmaker adds any Haram elements to the film that were not in your screenplay, you will not be considered as directly assisting in sin, since prior to the making of the film, you sold the screenplay for a certain sum of money and had no control over the production of the film thereafter. However, the fact that your name may be in the credits is problematic, because the audience will assume you had a direct role in producing the Haram content. Thus it is advisable that you ask the filmmaker to remove your name from the credits if the movie contains Haram elements.

 

In conclusion, it is extremely advisable to utilize your literary proficiency for more noble causes, such as unbiased journalism or writing non-fictional books of Islamic knowledge. Screenplay writing will eventually lead you towards the path of Haram, hence you should avoid this career. However if you must pursue this career option, please avoid directly assisting in sin and lewdness. And also avoid earning a percentage of revenue generated from a Haram film/ screenplay.

 

 

References:

 

الأصل في الأشياء الإباحة ذهب إليه الشافعي، وجمهور الحنفية، والجمهور من غيرهم.

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ص331 – كتاب التحقيقات على شرح الجلال للورقات – المسألة الثانية تحرير ما نسب إلى أبي حنيفة من أن الأصل التحريم وبيان الخطأ في النقل – المكتبة الشاملة

 

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.

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ص422 – كتاب حاشية ابن عابدين رد المحتار ط الحلبي – فرع يكره إعطاء سائل المسجد إلا إذا لم يتخط رقاب الناس – المكتبة الشاملة

 

وعن أبي حنيفة – رَضِيَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَنْهُ -: القصص مكروه أو يحدث الناس بما ليس له أصل معروف في أحاديث الأولين أو يزيد أو ينقص أو يعظ الناس بما لا يتعظ به وقلبه ساه، فأما ما سواء فغير مكروه.

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ص237 – كتاب البناية شرح الهداية – التعشير والنقط في المصحف – المكتبة الشاملة

 

القصص المكروه أن يحدثهم بما ليس له أصل معروف أو يعظهم بما لا يتعظ به أو يزيد وينقص: يعني في أصله، أما للتزين بالعبارات اللطيفة المرققة والشرح لفوائده فذلك حسن.

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ص668 – كتاب الدر المختار شرح تنوير الأبصار وجامع البحار – باب الاستبراء وغيره – المكتبة الشاملة

 

أَلَا تَرَى أَنَّهُ يُكْرَهُ بَيْعُ الْمَعَازِفِ) قِيلَ جَمْعُ مِعْزَفٍ ضَرْبٌ مِنْ الطَّنَابِيرِ يَتَّخِذُهُ أَهْلُ الْيَمِينِ (وَلَا يُكْرَهُ بَيْعُ الْخَشَبِ) لِأَنَّهُ إنَّمَا يَصِيرُ مِعْزَفًا بِفِعْلِ غَيْرِهِ. قَوْلُهُ (وَعَلَى هَذَا بَيْعُ الْخَمْرِ مَعَ الْعِنَبِ) أَيْ لَا يَجُوزُ بَيْعُ الْخَمْرِ وَيَجُوزُ بَيْعُ الْعِنَبِ، وَالْفَرْقُ لِأَبِي حَنِيفَةَ ﵁ بَيْنَ كَرَاهَةِ بَيْعِ السِّلَاحِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْفِتْنَةِ وَعَدَمِ كَرَاهَةِ بَيْعِ الْعَصِيرِ مِمَّنْ يَتَّخِذُهُ خَمْرًا سَيَأْتِي فِي بَابِ الْكَرَاهَةِ إنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى، وَاَللَّهُ ﷾ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ، وَإِلَيْهِ الْمَرْجِعُ وَالْمَآبُ.

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ص108 – كتاب العناية شرح الهداية بهامش فتح القدير ط الحلبي – بيع السلاح من أهل الفتنة – المكتبة الشاملة

 

(وَحَرُمَ شَرْطُ الْجُعْلِ مِنْ الْجَانِبَيْنِ) إلَّا إذَا أَدْخَلَ مُحَلِّلًا بِشُرُوطِهِ كَمَا مَرَّ فِي الْحَظْرِ (لَا) يَحْرُمُ (مِنْ أَحَدِ الْجَانِبَيْنِ) اسْتِحْسَانًا وَلَا يَجُوزُ

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ص752 – كتاب حاشية ابن عابدين رد المحتار ط الحلبي – مسائل شتى – المكتبة الشاملة

 

أَنَّ التَّصْوِيرَ يَحْرُمُ؛ وَلَوْ كَانَتْ الصُّورَةُ صَغِيرَةً كَالَّتِي عَلَى الدِّرْهَمِ أَوْ كَانَتْ فِي الْيَدِ أَوْ مُسْتَتِرَةً أَوْ مُهَانَةً مَعَ أَنَّ الصَّلَاةَ بِذَلِكَ لَا تَحْرُمُ، بَلْ وَلَا تُكْرَهُ لِأَنَّ عِلَّةَ حُرْمَةِ التَّصْوِيرِ الْمُضَاهَاةُ لِخَلْقِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى، وَهِيَ مَوْجُودَةٌ فِي كُلِّ مَا ذُكِرَ.

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ص647 – كتاب حاشية ابن عابدين رد المحتار ط الحلبي – فرع لا بأس بتكليم المصلي وإجابته برأسه – المكتبة الشاملة

 

 

Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.

Written by Maulana Sakib Shadman

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham