Watching TV Programs, or Shows that cause Public Damage

If this act regardless of its name and nature encourages abominable conduct, then there is no doubt that it is unlawful to watch or listen to. That is because this activity is obscene, and obscenity is unlawful to do or promote in the community.

Allah says: “Obey not Shaitan; he surely, your obvious enemy.” And He says: “Shaitan does command you to commit evil and behave obscenely.”

Allah the Exalted also says: “Those who love to promote obscenity among the faithful shall have painful torment in this as well as in the next world; for Allah knows everything, while you know nothing other than what He teaches you.”

If the act, regardless of its name or nature, encourages mixing stranger men and women, then it is unlawful to watch and listen to. That is because mixing stranger men and women is conducive to potential commission of abominable behavior; and the illicit means is held as an illicit objective.

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah exalt his mention, said: “No man meets privately with a stranger woman, but Shaitan is their third party.”

If such action promotes evil behavior, whether through singing, music, prose, poetry, sketching, or in any other form is doubtlessly unlawful. Allah says: “Do not collaborate in evil and aggression causes.”

Such activity is a form of perversion; a fact which is based on the saying of the Prophet, may Allah exalt his mention: “He who promotes a means of perversion, he shall assume a sin equal to the sins of those who follow him without causing their sins to diminished.” In another version he said: “And he who introduces an evil practice, which is practiced after him, he would assume a sin equal to the sin of those who apply without causing their sins to diminish.”

If such activity helps publicize disobeying Allah, then it is also unlawful; about which the Messenger of Allah, may Allah exalt his mention said: “All of my followers are forgivable except for those who publicize their own sins which they commit privately.”

If the purpose of an act, which is conducive to public strife, is procure monetary profit; then such act is unlawful. Allah says: “Do not devour each other’s wealth illicitly by submitting false claims to judges in order to plunder part of people’s wealth knowingly.” And Allah, the Exalted, describes the deviant rabbis says: “They are habitual devourers of unlawful health.”

As for the proof from the Sunnah, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah exalt his mention, said: “No flesh which grew out an unlawful means shall enter Jannah (the Heavenly Garden) Fire deserves it most.”