Hard Facts About Television

Posted: 21 Rabi-u-Thani 1424, 21 June 2003

The Council of Islamic Scholars (Majlisul Ulama) of Port Elizabeth, South Africa, have published a booklet on Islam and television in which they list the factors present in television that are unlawful or offensive, the existence of any one of which is sufficient to make watching it a violation of Sacred Law, including:

1) pictures of animate objects and picture making;
2) music;
3) immorality, nudity, illicit sex, pornography, etc;
4) obscene language;
5) incitement to fornication;
6) negation of haya (modesty);
7) scenes of violence, sadism, and crime in general portrayed;
8) the addictive influence exercised by TV;
9) it encourages the acceptance of aggression as a mode of behavior;
10) it encourages imitation of the crimes portrayed;
11) the brainwashing action of TV, especially on the young;
12) it stunts intellectual growth;
13) it wastes time;
14) it interferes with one's religious duties and one's necessary and important worldly duties;
15) it diverts one's attention from the remembrance of Allah;
16) and it falls under the category described by Islam as lahw (pointless amusement). (Majlisul Ulama)

In the face of this formidable array pf evil factors and harmful effects no one can have any doubt of the illegality of television in Islam. Television, as has been seen, is an embodiment of sin and immorality. Islam can never condone or permit an institution that plays havoc with the spiritual, mental, and moral development of mankind. (Islam and Television, 20-21) [From Reliance of the Traveler, Nuh Ha Mim Keller, pp 964-965].