Ruling on going to the Cinema and Watching Movies―by Shaikh Ibn Bāz

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Frequenting cinemas is prohibited because most of what is screened is harām (forbidden) alongside the playing of music which incites fitnah (temptation) ― and because it is a waste of time that busies a person with that which brings no religious benefit. In these times a Muslim is in severe need of occupying his time with that which will benefit him, his family and the Muslim ummah. And visiting cinemas is a barrier to the remembrance of Allah and to the fulfilment of religious obligations due to what occurs [in the cinema and in movies] of free-mixing between sexes and other types of corruption.

(See Al-Jāmi’ fī Fiqhil-‘Allāmah Ibn Bāz, p. 1205)

My comment: Movies are fictitious and made-up (untruths) to give people a sense of escapism and fantasy―quite often blurring the boundaries between fact and fiction leaving audiences unsure, confused and even mentally disturbed. Many films contain explicit sex scenes, immoral, lewd and adulterous relationships, extreme violence, killing, rape, sexual exploitation of women, drug abuse, drinking of alcohol and offensive language―all of which has a corrupting effect on the minds of viewers. Some of the most depraved and lowly immoral film characters (male and female) become role-models for movie-watchers and for large swathes of the population. Large numbers of people (and especially young people) copy the risky, immoral and dangerous things they see on the screen. Many of these films glorify unbelief, idolatry, magic and mockery of religion. None of this is good for our families or for society at large, and only encourages sinful behaviour―and things will only get worse until people wake up and rectify themselves and their families. We need to occupy our time with beneficial activities that help build our relationship with Allah and with our families and let us choose pastimes that nurture our bodies and souls and make us better people.

9 Comments

  1. JazakAllah Kheyr for the insight. Addiction to movies for years was a hindrance to my attemps in moving forward to do good. I will come back to this Pocket worthy article again and again to remind me in striving against my soul to focus on what matters most. My Allah guide us to the straight path. Ameen.

  2. Alhumdullilah! Beautiful article and very well written. Beneficial reminder for all of us. I shared this article with my two daughters who ask why we can’t watch movies and this is just a reiteration of what I’ve already told them but with more detail. Jazaak Allaahu Khayr and May Allah bless us ease in our ares of weakness

  3. movies and cimena are tools which can be used for good or bad. its how we use which makes it haram or halal and not the tool itself.

    if we watch good films in cinema, its not haraam. just bcoz many films contain music or lewdness, we canmot make everything in cinema haraam

    • Rather than giving us your personal thoughts, opinions and feelings, instead follow the Qur’an and Sunnah that prohibit pretending while lying (acting), listening to music, singing, dancing, looking at undressed women and men, watching lewd immoral behaviour, and following the lifestyles and fashions of the unbelievers, all of this is present in every movie cinema across the world.

      So, leave the following of whims and desires, follow the Revelation.

      • MashaAllah, the perfect answer for this common argument many people often use for this issue; we should remember what Umar ibn’ Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) from among best of companions said: “The people of opinions are the enemies of the Sunan; they became fatigued (tired, bored) with memorising hadith, so the hadith escaped them” (Ibanah-as-Sughra of Ibn Battah, 1/50)

  4. JazakAllahu Khayran Ustaadh, for this beneficial article.
    It is all well known- how our Muslim sisters stopped wearing the proper Hijab because of this so called bollywood and hollywood. And our Muslim brothers got busy going to the gym and mixing with the women, rather than growing their beards and earning a halal income to have families, they are no longer interested in having families.
    Allah-ul Musta’an

    Every single person is just now interested in the so called dopamine effect because of this terrible garbage that is displayed on these screens. Always looking for their next hit.

    So many people in my family and from the acquaintances I grew up with, would not be willing to recognize the harmful effect of this garbage until they fall into one of the major sins. But even after that they find excuses that society has now advanced and we should overlook this sin. They say Allah is ‘Ghafur-ur-Rahim, but they do not want to realize that Allah is also Shadid-ul-‘Iqab.

    May Allah bless you Ustaadh !
    JazakAllahu Khayran Ustaadh

  5. Alhamdulillah jazaakallahu khairan katheerah.
    I Hope Allah protect us from untruths, and I hope Allah give us guidance to the revelation.

  6. Assalamu alaykum.

    I used to read fictitious books before coming to Islam, and now these are sitting in shelves that deserve better contents. Some of them are fantasy which contain shirk, authubillah. Should I simply throw them away in a bin? I worry that someone will find them and read them.

    I also have another book that was given to me by a girl who is shia when I first came to Islam, it is a collection of shiite ahadith, authubillah. How should I get rid of it since it contains the name of Allāh in it?

    May Allah reward you well.

    • As-salāmu-alaikum-wa-rahmatullāh.

      Throw away the fiction.
      Burn any so-called Islamic material that contains bid’ah and shirk and bury the ashes.

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