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Q & A --> Lawful and Unlawful Categories --> The Ruling for Working in a Newspaper

Question : A question was asked regarding [the validity of] working in a newspaper.

Fatwa in Brief: This is not permitted. In newspapers, evil and corruption outweigh dedication and seriousness. Thus, journalists publish news on actors, actresses, and merely spread rumors, gossip and temptation.

The Permanent Committee, 15/52-53

Response:

If a person works in a newspaper that does not break [Muslim] laws, or the greater proportion of such laws, there is no harm in this. However, if a newspaper is known to publish gossip and lies [rather than serious news stories], it is not permitted for Muslims to work there.

Commentary:

Globally speaking, the media is now the main source for publishing knowledge, opinions, and behavior for both young and old. To a considerable extent, it shapes the way a society thinks. The media forms a society’s knowledge base, and protects its ethical standards; it directs public opinion and informs decisions in all areas of [political?] life. As such, the media has become the most effective and powerful contributor to the spread of Islam. It must be used wisely by Muslim “callers” [da‘iya] in their traditional struggle to attract new believers to the faith.

The original attitude of the law regarding the media is that it is permitted. However, any of the five legal classifications – obligation, recommendation, preferable, dislike or prohibition – can here be applied. The matter depends entirely on the information offered/given, the means used [to gain this information], the results build on it, and the practices associated with it.

The media’s function is to spread news, and to comment upon this news. It thus disseminates and discusses a wide variety of ideas. [From the perspective of Islam] The media faces an obligation to commit to a sufficiently high level of moral values, ethics and laws so as to guarantee that they do not [willingly] mislead [the public]. A Muslim media representative must be aware of this, and the following commitments:

1.  A commitment to truth. Stories must be thoroughly investigated and [whenever possible] proof obtained, before publication. Those in control must resist the temptation to publish quickly merely in order to raise sales.

2.  A commitment to publish information that is in keeping with the principles of religious ethics, and laws. Thus, a responsible media representative distances him/herself from promoting abnormal (shadhdha) and/or deviant (munharafa) thoughts.

3.  A commitment to neutrality when commenting upon and criticizing [public] opinions. This approach should not show bias, racism or overstep the boundaries of good ethical behavior.

4.  A commitment to avoiding criticism against the established principles of religion. Such criticism leads only to doubt and the spreading of ambiguity.

5.  A commitment to following the established principles of religion. The freedom of the press is not an absolute freedom. Rather, it must be guided through religious knowledge, of ritual, ethics, and customs.

6.  A commitment to caring/protecting the dictates of religion, as religion has more influence on people’s moral behaviour than any other sphere of thought.

7.  A commitment not to work in institutions that are known to attack Islam. No [Muslim] media representative should continue in their position if his/her work supports aggression and arrogance [against Islam/Muslims].

8.  A commitment not to work for institutions that are based upon acts/things that are legally prohibited by Islam. Thus, no [Muslim] media representative should work in magazines or [television] channels dedicated to spreading obscenity and vice.

If a person works in a newspaper [or in another media organization] that commits to these principles, or [at least to the majority of them], it is permitted for him/her to continue in his/her job there. If, however, this person works at a place where an interest in [publishing] evil outweighs an interest in [publishing] good, s/he should cease to work there immediately.[1]

And God knows best.

Dr. Anas Abu Shadi


[1] Shaykh ‘Atiyya Saqr, Fatawa Dar al-Ifta’ al-Misriyya, no. 234, May 1997.