The danger of cinemas

All praise be to Allah and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone who has no partner and I bear witness that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger.

Our speech today is about a great sedition and a major sin to which the people of desires and pleasures invite people which is the opening of cinema houses. The speech will be about the following elements: Shari`ah violations, the views of scholars, and a doubt along with its refutation.

Of these violations:

First, violations related to `Aqidah (creed) which is the most dangerous because cinemas display the images and civilizations of disbelievers as well as their way of life in a way that makes people admire and incline to them although their life is similar to the life of animals. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "They know only the outside appearance of the life of the world (i.e. the matters of their livelihood, like irrigating or sowing or reaping, etc.), and they are heedless of the Hereafter." [Surat Ar-Rum: 7]. Allah (Exalted be He) says: "Certainly! Allah will admit those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah Islamic Monotheism) and do righteous good deeds, to Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise), while those who disbelieve enjoy themselves and eat as cattle eat, and the Fire will be their abode." [Surat Muhammad: 12]. Allah (Exalted be He) says: "Those are like livestock, nay, they are more astray." [Surat Al A`raf: 179].

In contrast, cinemas make people detest from Muslims' manners, clothes, the way of life, and make them despise Muslim scholars and Muslim heroes and representing them in a repulsive image. A Muslim is commanded to befriend the believers and show hostility to those who fight against him. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "You (O Muhammad SAW) will not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day, making friendship with those who oppose Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad SAW), even though they were their fathers, or their sons, or their brothers, or their kindred (people)." [Surat Al Mujadilah: 22].

Imam Ahmad reported in his Musnad from the Hadith of Al Bara' ibn `Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The strongest bond of faith is to love for the sake of Allah and hate for the sake of Allah."[1]

Second, displaying mixture between men and women as a usual matter without prohibition, displaying love stories, and calling women to take off their head-cover, rebelling against religion and family culture, having sex with men without any shame, and that leads to the spread of obscenity and vice in Muslim societies. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "Verily, those who like that (the crime of) illegal sexual intercourse should be propagated among those who believe, they will have a painful torment in this world and in the Hereafter. And Allah knows and you know not." [Surat An-Nur: 19].

Third, singing: Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "And of mankind is he who purchases idle talks (i.e. music, singing, etc.) to mislead (men) from the Path of Allah without knowledge, and takes it (the Path of Allah, the Verses of the Quran) by way of mockery. For such there will be a humiliating torment (in the Hell-fire)." [Surat Luqman: 6]. Most commentators such as Ibn `Abbas and Ibn Mas`ud said that the Ayah is peaking about singing, and Ibn Mas`ud used to swear by Allah that the meaning of the Ayah is singing.[2]

Allah (Exalted be He) says: "And Istafziz [literally means: befool them gradually] those whom you can among them with your voice (i.e. songs, music, and any other call for Allah's disobedience), make assaults on them with your cavalry and your infantry." [Surat Al Isra': 64].

Fourth, musical instruments: They are all forbidden by all their types and shapes. Al Bukhari reported in his Sahih from the Hadith of Abu Malik Al Ash`ary (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "From among my followers there will be some people who will consider illegal sexual intercourse, the wearing of silk, the drinking of alcoholic drinks and the use of musical instruments, as lawful."[3] This Hadith shows the prohibition of doing these things.

Fifth, displaying cinema shows in public places along with the presence of the previous violations and deniable matters is considered declaration to sins. It was reported in Sahih Al Bukhari and Sahih Muslim from the Hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "All the sins of my followers will be forgiven except those of the Mujahirin (those who commit a sin openly or disclose their sins to the people)."[4]

Sixth, cinemas have bad impacts on the attendants such as teaching them the ways of deception, cheating, theft, conspiracies, and killing. Global statistics mentioned that many of killing cases, rape, divorce, and marital cheats were due to violence and sex movies in cinemas and TVs.

Views of scholars:

Sheikh `Abdullah ibn Humayd said: One of the most important things that should be removed or warded off is the presence of these cinemas that spread in many places because of the obscene images they display and the moral diseases they spread. Moreover, they kill in man his manhood, magnanimity, religion; truly cinemas are a trap that was set by our enemy to corrupt our manners by which we excelled to others. Seemingly, these cinemas have almost achieved their goal.[5]

The Permanent Committee was asked: Is it permissible for a Muslim to build a cinema house and manage its business?

The Committee answered as follows: "It is not allowed for a Muslim to build a cinema house or run its business either by himself or to others because they contain forbidden amusement. Furthermore, cinemas display obscene images and fascinating views that arouse sexual desires and call people to lewdness and moral corruption, and mostly combine men and women together without barrier."[6]

The letter which King Faisal (may Allah bestow mercy on his soul) sent to the minister of media reads as follows: "As for cinemas, it is not allowed for their owners to display their shows in public places, and whoever is caught while doing this, his camera and movies shall be confiscated, and he shall be whipped and imprisoned[7]."[8]

The third element is: A doubt and its refutation:

A person may say: Today's cinemas do not display sexual scenes and there is no mixture between men and women, and it is possible to control it according to the Islamic disciplines.

The answer is: The people of evil achieve their goals step by step, so they may give up some matters to get other, and soon cinemas in the Kingdom shall be like their peers worldwide, and shall display mixture between men and women, and lewdness will lead to wasting of Salah besides other evils and corruptions that a reasonable Muslim denies. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "Allâh wishes to accept your repentance, but those who follow their lusts, wish that you (believers) should deviate tremendously away (from the Right Path)." [Surat An-Nisa': 27].

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds [i.e., people], and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and all his Companions.