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From: Mahboob shariff
Subject: T.V. AS A MEANS OF DAWAH
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Its
Definition:
The
TV or television is a new term defined by Al Wasit dictionary as "a
device used to carry the sound and picture through electric waves."
Some people call it the viewer. It is one of the technical
scientific means which includes the audio-visual means and has
become very widespread in almost every home.
Its
Importance:
The importance of this
means lies in the following points:
A. It assembles the most
important criteria of audio-visual, like:
1. The expansion
of time and places covered: in fact, this means takes a duration in
broadcasting and along the 24 hours there is almost always a channel
or two broadcasting some sort of programs - It goes beyond all
geographical barriers. It is not limited in space or time, above
all, after the invention of satellite dishes.
2. The variety
of the subject it broadcasts. So, it touches the various needs and
desires of people.
3. The easiness of listening to it and
watching it. It does not require a big effort neither does it
require a special time. It can be watched while studying, sitting,
eating, talking and even in bed before sleeping
B. Its high
appeal to people. In fact, TV combines the vision and the hearing.
This is why we notice that there are many more people who follow TV
programs than those who follow radio programs or read newspapers.
Its appeal has increased after it became available.
C. Its
availability and its cheap price: Because of the competition between
the international companies in producing TV sets exporting them and
reducing their prices
TV is exposed and sold in many
places
D. The variety of its audience as its programs are
followed by old people, young people, men, women, intellectuals and
others
. there are yet more criteria that make the TV one of the
most dangerous contemporary means and one of the most widespread.
Its
Reality:
TV is a
material means that can be used for good or evil. But because of the
countries that manufacture it and the people that are in charge of
it TV is, most of the time, used in spreading the bad. The
objective of these people is, sometimes, to spread depravity, bad
ideas and bad customs deliberately or just to meet the people's
various desires and to attract them blindly, regardless of the
ethics and the morals that should be observed.
They
sometimes use these destructive programs just to fill some gaps to
expand the hours of broadcasting
and because of the scarcity of
good programs
and other reasons that differ from one country to the
other
.
The Duat (callers to Islam)
have neglected dealing with this means and differed in their stands
towards it: some of them boycotted it and stayed away from it
some
of them participated in it individually and in an extemporaneous
manner that did not help in reforming it to the good. Some of them
even fought its use and forbade it. They broke its screens and
forbade its introduction into their homes. But despite the variety
of these stands, no important change has occurred regarding the
attitude towards the TV and its reality.
On the contrary,
its use has become more widespread and its influence on people young
and old is no longer questionable. They have become more convinced
of receiving both the good and the bad it broadcasts. In fact, most
of what it broadcasts does not take into account the notion of Halal
(lawful) and Haram (unlawful). But such films differ in number from
one country to
another
.
The
reformist Duat (those who call to Islam and admonish people) became
more and more frightened about the development of TV broadcasting
and its great revolution due to the direct broadcasting every where
in the world that allows countries to present any programs they
wish. This opened the door to all kinds of propaganda.
This led some Duat to use a negative
solution like jamming certain channels or prohibiting the
importation of some sophisticated devices that access direct
broadcasting
. etc.
Its
Ruling:
TV includes,
according to what is being exposed in it, three different means as
far its ruling is concerned:
1. The lawful means: Lawful
because of the good and lawful it broadcasts.
2. The mixed
means where there are programs that mix between the good and the
evil, the lawful and the unlawful.
3. The means whose ruling
is not controversial because TV is also photography whose ruling
differs among scholars to some others
. This variety made reaching a
common, acceptable ruling about TV a very difficult and very
complicated matter, and it made treating this issue difficult and
uncertain.
So, the Muslim cannot
consider TV an absolutely forbidden device only because it
broadcasts more evil programs than good because the supremacy of
evil differs from one place to the other, from one channel to the
other and even from one program to the other
.
Similarly, one cannot consider TV
absolutely lawful due to the numerous perverted and bad things that
accompany most of its programs
. One cannot also consider it a thing
whose rule is controversial among scholars because a lot of the
forbidden things that are broadcast in it cannot be considered from
the category of the things disagreed upon by scholars.
For this reason, I think that its
ruling should be detailed according to the state of the questioner,
for instance:
"Its (TV) use is
forbidden to those who know that they can not control it and that
they can not limit their own use of TV and that of their family to
the lawful things only. But it is lawful for the person who knows
that he would be able to limit his use and that of his family to
that which is lawful."
But this
control and limitation need necessarily a good, accurate and
specific education that is supervised by the fathers and the
educators. Such education should be regulated according to clear
Shari'ah criteria that help Muslims know what is Halal and what is
Haram knowing what is lawful to watch and what is not, and
instructions to abide by that.
Without these two
criteria: education and supervision as well as adjusting TV to
Shari'ah regulations, it becomes difficult to imagine how one can be
safe from this device in any way as it is the case in many Muslim
homes where TV was introduced or was not.
I
set these regulations, with the help of some Duat brothers a few
years ago. We applied those regulations initially in our homes and
the homes of those on whom we have authority. This field experience
proved that the restrained home that is keen on the safety of its
worldly and religious affairs and that is conscious of the danger of
these means and similar means can avoid the dangers and harmful
effects of these dangerous devices on a large extent thanks to
Allah. But this experience still needs much supervision, follow up,
guidance and rationalization from those interested in
it.
Before this experience, I
used to be a very enthusiastic supporter of those who oppose these
devices and boycott them. But after a long interest in the subject
and a detailed study as well as a continuous observation of some
Muslim families I became convinced to introduce the TV in my home as
part of a precise educational plan regulated by clear Shari'ah
guidelines
. But this is only for the
person who believes he could control himself as stated
earlier.
In fact, training
Muslim children from an early age on ways to control these devices
makes them better able to stick to the regulations governing the
appropriate and legal criteria of using TVs.
It is easy to educate the child and
teach him/her how to control TV and what to watch (the right
program) in any disciplined home that respects this ethic
. TV, in
this case, is similar to any other dangerous device in the home such
as the gas oven and the electrical devices
etc.
But the child who is completely
prevented from using these devices in order to save him from their
danger is, most of the time, their first victim, and the victim of
misusing them as soon as he is given the opportunity or when he
desires to use them
So, the fathers
and educators should present this experience to their children and
their families before TV invades their own homes in the future and
due to their deprivation complex overpowers their instincts and
desires
These adults must always remember their responsibility in
educating their children and should be aware of the call of Allah:
"O you who believe! Ward off yourselves
and your families against Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stones,
over which are (appointed) Angels stern (and) severe,
who disobey not (from executing) the commands they receive
from Allah, but do that which they are
commanded" (66:6)
Allah also
says: "Say (O Muhammad) the losers are
those who will lose themselves and their families on the Day of
Resurrection. Verily, that will be a manifest
loss."(39:15)
[Translated from:
Introduction to the Science of Dawah]
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