Is watching movies permissible in Islam?

Sources

• ✓ 5:3 · Al-Maaida

  5:3 · Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall

  حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْمَيْتَةُ وَٱلدَّمُ وَلَحْمُ ٱلْخِنزِيرِ وَمَآ أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ ٱللَّهِ بِهِۦ وَٱلْمُنْخَنِقَةُ وَٱلْمَوْقُوذَةُ وَٱلْمُتَرَدِّيَةُ وَٱلنَّطِيحَةُ وَمَآ أَكَلَ ٱلسَّبُعُ إِلَّا مَا ذَكَّيْتُمْ وَمَا ذُبِحَ عَلَى ٱلنُّصُبِ وَأَن تَسْتَقْسِمُوا۟ بِٱلْأَزْلَٰمِ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ فِسْقٌ ۗ ٱلْيَوْمَ يَئِسَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِن دِينِكُمْ فَلَا تَخْشَوْهُمْ وَٱخْشَوْنِ ۚ ٱلْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِى وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ ٱلْإِسْلَٰمَ دِينًۭا ۚ فَمَنِ ٱضْطُرَّ فِى مَخْمَصَةٍ غَيْرَ مُتَجَانِفٍۢ لِّإِثْمٍۢ ۙ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ

  Forbidden unto you (for food) are carrion and blood and swineflesh, and that which hath been dedicated unto any other than Allah, and the strangled, and the dead through beating, and the dead through falling from a height, and that which hath been killed by (the goring of) horns, and the devoured of wild beasts, saving that which ye make lawful (by the death-stroke), and that which hath been immolated unto idols. And (forbidden is it) that ye swear by the divining arrows. This is an abomination. This day are those who disbelieve in despair of (ever harming) your religion; so fear them not, fear Me! This day have I perfected your religion for you and completed My favour unto you, and have chosen for you as religion al-Islam. Whoso is forced by hunger, not by will, to sin: (for him) lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

• ✓ Majma al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Qur'an on 5:3

  Shia

  Majma al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Qur'an · 5:3

  The verse begins with the prohibition: "Forbidden to you are the carrion, blood, pork, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah, the strangled, the beaten to death, the fallen from a height, the gored, and that which wild beasts have eaten—except what you have slaughtered properly—and what is sacrificed on stone alters, and divining arrows. This is grave disobedience. Today the disbelievers have despaired of your religion, so fear them not, but fear Me. Today I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have approved Islam as a religion for you. But whoever is compelled by severe hunger, with no inclination to sin, then indeed Allah is Forgiving and Merciful." Recitation Variants: It is recorded in the unusual readings that Ibn Abbas recited "wa akila al-sib'a" (and what the beasts have eaten). Al-Hasan narrated the reading "wa ma akala al-sib'a" with a sukoon on the ba, and Yahya ibn Wathab and Ibrahim read "ghayru mutajanif li-ithm" (not inclining to sin). Grammatical Argument (Al-Hujjah): Ibn Jinni explained that "al-akila" is a noun meaning the thing that has been eaten, similar to "al-natiha" (the one that has been gored). Both "al-akil" and "al-akila" can denote gender and generality, applicable to masculine and feminine. For example, when you say "I passed a sheep that was eaten," meaning a lion or similar ate it, or "we have no food except what was eaten," meaning forage or pasture prepared for eating, even if it had been eaten, it lacks a possessive 'hā'. Thus, "akil al-sib'a" refers to what the beasts have eaten partially. As for "al-sib'a," it is a diminutive of "sab'a," meaning beasts. The word "mutajanif" and its root meaning "muf'al" form is stronger than "mutafa'al," implying a leaning or inclination; thus, "mutajanif" means inclined, leaning, or averse. Comparatively, it is like "mutamayil" or "muta'wid." Lexical Notes (Al-Lughah): The root "al-ihlal" is raising a sound or voice, such as the screaming of a newborn baby when born or the prayer of the pilgrim during Ihram. Ibn Ahmar said, "Our riders announce with the star Polaris as does the pilgrim with the 'ihlal'." The crescent moon is so called because it is a time to raise the voice. "Khanqa" (the strangled) involves pressing or squeezing, as with a necklace. "Al-Waqth" means severe striking or beating; the verbal forms connoting this are used in poetry. "Al-Rada" means destruction, "al-tardī" is rashness or recklessness, "al-natīha" means the gored or butted one, deriving from a passive to a noun form with a feminine 'hā' suffix, as occurs in certain nouns. Some Kufan grammarians state the feminine 'hā' is omitted in words derived as "maf'ūla" unless serving as an adjective to a preceding noun, as in "kaf khadīb" or "ʿayn kahīl." When these nouns are used alone as adjectives for feminine, the 'hā' is retained, such as "kahīlah" and "khadība." Regarding "adh-dhikā’ah," it refers to cutting the windpipe and esophagus because they contain life, thus such meat is not considered carrion. "Adh-dhikā’" in language means completeness or perfection of a thing, such as the length of a tooth in an animal's hoof and mouth ensuring full strength, also the intense burning of fire. "An-nasb" refers to the stones they worshipped individually, and "az-zulam" is the plural of "zilm" or a cup or goblet used for divination. "Al-istiqsām" means the act of dividing or seeking division. "Al-makhmāsah" is severe stomach contraction from hunger, a noun pattern indicating the folding in and shrinking of the belly, without actual starvation. "Al-mutajanif" means leaning or turning towards sin; when people bent away from straightness they were called "ajnaf." Meaning (Al-Ma'na): Allah clarifies what is prohibited to the believers, emphasizing that all the mentioned categories are forbidden—dead animals, blood, pig flesh, animals slaughtered in other than Allah's name, strangled animals, those beaten to death, those fallen from a height, those gored, what beasts have eaten, sacrifices to stones or idols, and divining arrows. The term "dead meat" (al-maytah) is all that dies without proper slaughtering (zabiha). The Prophet (peace be upon him) said that locusts and fish are exceptions to dead meat. Blood is forbidden especially the flowing or spilling blood; however, blood clotted inside the meat can be lawful. Organs like liver are permissible, though spleen is discouraged according to some narrations and the Imamiyyah sect holds it as forbidden. The pig meat is explicitly forbidden not because it is dead meat but because it is inherently prohibited regardless of how it dies. The phrase "what has been dedicated to other than Allah" includes all slaughterings where the name of Allah is not invoked, including those who attribute divine nature to other than Allah, such as Christians or Jews who have altered or combined Torah and Gospel teachings, or idolaters. The strangled animal refers to one whose cause of death is strangulation, such as being entrapped between branches or strangled by hunters' ropes. The beaten to death are those who die from being struck and not slaughtered. The fallen refers to animals that fell from mountains, high places, or wells, and died without proper slaughter; such animals are only permitted if one cannot attain proper slaughter and kills it in another manner until the body cools. The gored animals are those fatally wounded by others, dying from the impact. Regarding "what the beasts have eaten," this means the prey killed by wild animals; the exception is what you have chased and properly slaughtered. For the phrase "except what you have slaughtered," the exception is regarding those from the mentioned categories that have been properly slaughtered, indicated by the more detailed readings and narrations from the Imams that the minimum sign is movement of the ear, tail, or blinking of the eye during slaughter, which indicates life at slaughter. As for what at the end of the prohibitions, such as sacrifices on stone alters—these were stones worshipped by polytheists, not idols in the sculptured sense but upright stones around the Kaaba. Blood and meat would be presented as offerings on them, which Allah forbids to benefit from. Regarding divining arrows (azlam), these were arrow sticks used to seek omens on journeys and decision-making. They had inscriptions like "My Lord ordered me," "My Lord forbade me," or blank. Choosing based on them is condemned. All these prohibitions constitute clear transgression and rebellion against Allah, as noted by Ibn Abbas. When the verse states "Today those who disbelieve have despaired of your religion," it means that at this time they have despaired of turning the Muslims away from Islam. It is not necessarily a singular day but indicates the moment when Islam triumphed clearly. Muslims are commanded not to fear the disbelievers but to fear Allah alone. "Today I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have approved Islam as a religion for you" suggests that Allah has completed the commands, prohibitions, and favors, so there is no further abrogation or addition in the faith as of this declaration. Some scholars identify this event as occurring during the Farewell Pilgrimage, particularly the day of Arafat. Alternatively, some interpret this perfection as completing the pilgrimage rites or the triumph over enemies. The narration indicates that after this, no further prophetic ordinances in halal (permissibility) or haram (prohibition) were revealed. It is reported the Prophet said upon the revelation of this verse: "Allah is the Greatest in completing the religion, perfecting the favor, and approving the appointment of Ali ibn Abi Talib as my successor." He prayed for support for Ali and those loyal to him. Completing the favor is also understood as granting knowledge, wisdom, and victory to the believers. Approving Islam as the religion means Allah is satisfied with the state of Islam as the way of submission to Him, commanding adherence to these rules without departing from them. The verse continues addressing necessity: "But whoever is compelled by severe hunger, with no inclination to sin," meaning in dire need when someone must eat from the forbidden due to intense hunger and without desiring sin, Allah permits this act. "Not inclining to sin" implies not deliberately disobeying or doing this by choice. Allah’s forgiveness and mercy mean He covers the sin of eating in this extreme necessity, not that He forgives a deliberate crime but shows leniency and allows survival.