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Fatwa CenterWatching the movie 'The Message'
Question
Thank you for your answer on question 135268. But when I watched the movie 'the Message' within 15 minutes I stopped it as it shows male and female artists touching each other, females not in Hijaab etc. Direction photography are all good. They do not show Prophet(s) or the 4 Caliphs. They show Bilaal, Zayed and Hamza may Allaah be pleased with them, to mention a few. So I feel it is Haraam. Since I cannot issue a Fatwa I would like you to issue a fresh Fatwa considering above points as Muslims who visit your site may view it and I will be responsible for the sin, I feel. I also feel that if non-Muslims watch it, it will be worth it. Can they watch it? Hope you will answer this question.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.
The Permanent Committee for Scientific Research and Islaamic rulings in Saudi Arabia as well as the Supreme Committee of Scholars have previously published a Fatwa regarding this movie, and it is not permissible to depict the companions 
. The Fatwa of the Permanent Committee is number 4923 dated 11/7/1402 A.H, and the decision of the Supreme Committee of Scholars is number 13.
The following is a summary of the decision:
1) Allaah has praised the companions and illustrated their high status and elevated their standard. Revising their lives in the form of a scenario or movies is contradictory to the praise that Allaah reserved for them, and is degrading to the high status that Allaah assigned and preserved for them.
2) Usually the actor in the role of any companion 
is a person who lacks righteousness, piety, and Islaamic moral standards in his daily life. The objective of movie producers is to gain material benefit. No matter how careful one may be to represent the truth, these movies contain lies and backbiting, and depict the companions and show them in the hearts of the people as dispraised and inferior. Thus the trust and confidence for the companions of the Prophet 
and their prestige and standing in the hearts of the Muslim viewers decrease. As a result, it could result in doubt in the hearts of some Muslims. Also arguments and disputes about the companions of the Prophet could emerge.
3) The benefits that are intended, like good moral conduct, etiquettes while seeking the truth, and being accurate about the biography without any violation, is just an estimation. A person who knows the reality of movie stars and their motives, would know that such lofty objectives are rejected by the reality of movie stars and actors themselves, and that these standards are not regarded in their daily life and dealings.
4) One of the principles of Islaamic jurisprudence is that if something is a pure evil (or evil is dominant in it) then it becomes forbidden. Featuring the companions regardless of the estimated benefit, still contains a dominant evil. So in order to preserve the essential benefit and refute the claim of the movie's accuracy, and protect the dignity of the Prophet this movie has to be prohibited (end of the report).
Therefore, the sister asking the question should know the ruling about the movie entitled "The Message". Actually, it contains other prohibitions like featuring the companions as having shaved their beards, the mixing of men and women, and featuring women who are not properly covered. It is as if the companions indulged in these contemptible acts. In addition to this, some of the actors in this movie could be seen in other movies as dissolute people, courting women like the actor featured in the role of Hamza . So who could accept this characterization of Hamza by those who know the high moral standards of the companions . The questioner states that this movie is worth seeing by non-Muslims. Our view is that it is not worth seeing, neither by Muslims or non-Muslims. On the contrary non-Muslims should not see it, as the movie shows the companions in a way contrary to the reality they used to be upon in regard to piety, devotion and sincerity of their faith, and falsely shows them, in some instances, mixing with women, having their beards shaved, and so on.
Allaah knows best.
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