I am the owner of a printery and living in a multi-religious country ( Trinidad and Tobago)..I would like to find out whether it permissible for me to print pictures of idols, dieties, that non muslims worship, alcholic beverages, advertisements, pronography and any related things that muslims have been prohibited from doing?
Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,
As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa
Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)
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Answer:
What is permissible
in printing
In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask
for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever
He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that
there is no one (no idol, no person, no
grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai,
nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that
Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.
Q-1:I am the owner
of a printery and living in a multi-religious country (
Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 5083 Narrated by Abu Dharr
Allah's Messenger (saws) said to him,
"Fear Allah wherever you are!”
Dear and Beloved brother, regardless of whether one lives
in a muslim or a non-muslim state, the believer’s first and foremost duty as an
individual is to fear Allah wherever he may be, and strive to live his life
within the boundaries prescribed by Allah and His Messenger (saws)! Thus even if one lives in a non-Islamic or
multi-religious nation, all the things and acts which are prohibited in Islam
would still remain prohibited for him!
I would like to find
out whether it permissible for me to print pictures of idols, dieties, that non
muslims worship, alcholic beverages, advertisements, pronography and any
related things that muslims have been prohibited from doing?
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah
Maidah verse 2 (part):
2 ….. Help ye one another in
righteousness and piety but help ye not one another in sin and rancor: fear
Allah! for Allah is strict in punishment.
It does not behove and befit one who sincerely believes in
Allah and the Last Day to be an accomplice in the deeds and acts and things
which are clearly declared as forbidden by Allah and His Messenger (saws)!
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah
Maidah verse 90:
90 O ye who believe! Intoxicants, gambling, (the dedication of) idols,
and (divination by) arrows, are an abomination of the Shaytaan's handiwork: ‘fajtanebu’
(eschew, do not approach, stay far away from, all) such (abomination) that ye
may prosper.
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 17 Surah
Israa verse 32:
‘Laa-takrebu’ (do not even go near)
‘zina’ (fornication or adultery), for it is a very indecent thing and a very
evil way!
If one studies the above Commands of Allah Subhanah in the
Glorious Quran, not only is idols and idolatry, all types of intoxicants, all
types and manifestations of gambling, and everything that has or leads to
‘zina’ are not only forbidden, but the clear Command of Allah Subhanah to the
believers is to eschew, do not approach, stay far away and do not even go near
these abominations!
The majority of the scholars are of the opinion that for
Allah and His Messenger (saws) to declare a thing or act as ‘haraam’ is big
enough!; but these abominations of idols, intoxicants, gambling, pornography,
etc. are so grave in the Sight of Allah, that Allah Subhanah has Guided and
Commanded the believers to ‘absolutely stay clear’ of these evils!
If one is in the designing or printing industry, and he
designs or prints things which are clearly described as ‘haraam’ by Allah and
His Messenger (saws) (things like pictures of deities that idolators worship,
or pornography, or alcohol, or gambling, etc.), although one cannot say with
conviction that he would occur the exact same sin of actually committing these
forbidden things, he will definitely have a fair share of its sin!!!
It would be best and purest for the one who sincerely
believes in Allah and the Last Day, to fear Allah and abstain from being even
an accomplice or participant in promoting the things which are clearly declared
as forbidden by Allah and His Messenger (saws).
Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to
Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only
Source of Strength.
Your brother and well wisher in
Islam,
Burhan
Wister