Fatwa's Insights - Entertainment and Current Affairs

THE 74TH MEETING OF THE PERLIS STATE FATWA COMMITTEE / 2025

1–2 JULAI 2025 / 5-6 MUHARRAM 1447

GUIDELINES ON CINEMAS

1. Cinemas or motion picture theatres fall under the category of entertainment (lahw). Based on observation, they are divided into two categories:

i. Permissible: if it does not lead to the abandonment of religious obligations or the involvement in prohibited matters. It may even become a meritorious act if it promotes matters sanctioned by the Sharī’ah and is intended to convey benefits of a religious to the audience.

ii. Prohibited: if it leads to the abandonment of religious obligations or the involvement in prohibited matters. 

2. The cinema is evaluated on two aspects:

i. The content of the films screened,

ii. The effect of that content on viewers.

A. Content:

Content shall be deemed prohibited if it contains any of the following:

i. The promotion or encouragement of erroneous creeds and beliefs that are contrary to the religion. For instance, the veneration of graves or idols depicted as something true or acceptable,

ii. Promoting acts of insulting Allah, His Messenger, the Quran, or the Sunnah,

iii. Promoting or encouraging prohibited acts such as illicit sexual relations, intoxicants, gambling, and the like.

B. Effect:

Effect refers to what happens to a person after watching a film, and this may differ from one individual to another. If the impact of a film on a viewer clearly results in any of the following, then it is prohibited for that person to watch it:

i. Giving rise to doubt or misunderstanding concerning the teachings of the Quran or the Sunnah,

ii. It incites the individual to engage in matters prohibited by religion, such as adultery (zinā), consumption of intoxicants, gambling, and the like,

iii. It causes the individual to be influenced by erroneous doctrines, such as false beliefs pertaining to saints or a false claimant to the title of Imam al-Mahdī,

iv. Negatively influencing the character and personal conduct of the viewer,

v. Distracting the person to the extent that religious obligations are neglected.

If these effects are not present in the viewer, such as in the case of someone watching for the purpose of research or evaluation, then it is not prohibited.

3. As for cinemas that exist in our country, they are permitted subject to the following conditions:

i. The films screened do not contain any of the prohibited elements as mentioned above,

ii. The premises do not become known as a venue associated with immoral conduct or vice.

PRESENCE AND APPROVAL BY:

1. Sahibus Samahah Professor Dato' Arif Perkasa Dr. Mohd Asri bin Zainul Abidin
2. Sahibul Fadhilah Ustaz Tajul Urus bin Abdul Halim
3. Sahibul Fadhilah Professor Dr. Basri bin Ibrahim
4. Sahibul Fadhilah Professor Dr. Muhamad Rozaimi bin Ramle
5. Sahibul Fadhilah Dr. Hj. Zaharuddin bin Hj. Abdul Rahman
6. Sahibul Fadhilah Professor Dr. Azman bin Mohd Noor
7. Sahibul Fadhilah Dr. Ahmad Sufian bin Che Abdullah
8. Sahibul Fadhilah Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ahmad Wifaq bin Mokhtar
9. Sahibul Fadhilah Ustaz Syed Abu Bakar bin Syed Kamal Bharin
10. Sahibul Fadhilah K.H. Dr. Zaitun bin Rasmin
11. Sahibul Fadhilah Dr. Muhammad Lukman bin Mat Sin
12. Sahibul Fadhilah Ustaz Aidil bin Abdul Rahman
13. Sahibul Fadhilah Ustaz Burhanudin bin Lokman
14. Al-Fadhil Ustaz Muhammad Khidhir bin Abdul Ghani – Secretary

Endorsed at the Council Session of the Islamic Religious Affairs and Malay Customs Council of Perlis No. 4/2025, on 15 July 2025.