Fiction - prohibited?

subhanallah

Junior Member
:salam2:
Is reading novels allowed in islam?

I love reading fiction and do it mostly to get a better vocabulary, but lately I've been wondering if it's halal or not. Practically all fiction include something forbidden in Islam such as backbiting, relationships with the opposite gender (not necessarily a love relationship) etc.

And if it is allowed, can you please recommend me authors and/or books which are ok in an islamic perspective?
 

umm hussain

Junior Member
walaikum salam warahmatullah

In my opinion lying is prohibited even when joking, so fictional stories are lies.

Lying is an evil characteristic, which all religions and systems of ethics warn against and which man's innate common sense (fitrah) agrees that it is wrong. Those who possess chivalry and sound reason also say this.

Truthfulness is one of the pillars on which the moral survival of the world depends. It is the foundation of praiseworthy characteristics, the cornerstone of Prophet hood, the result of taqwa. Were it not for truthfulness, the rulings of all divinely revealed laws would collapse. Acquiring the characteristic of lying is akin to shedding one's humanity, because speaking is an exclusively human trait.

Our purely monotheistic sharee'ah warns against lying in the Qur'an and Sunnah, and there is consensus that it is haram. The liar will have bad consequences in this world and in the next.

According to sharee'ah, lying is not permitted except in specific cases which do not lead to loss of rights, bloodshed or slander of people's honour, etc., but which concern saving lives, reconciling between people, or creating love between husband and wife.

There is never a day or a moment when sharee'ah permits a person to tell lies or to say whatever he wants based on lies. One of the things that have become widespread among the common people is the so called "April Fool's Day", where they claim that the first day of the fourth solar month is a day when lying is permitted without being subject to any shar'i guidelines. Many bad things may result from this, some of which we will mention below.

The prohibition of lying in Islam:

1. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):"It is only those who believe not in the Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allah, who fabricate falsehood, and it is they who are liars." [al-Nahl 16:105]

Ibn Kathir said: 'Then Allah tells us that His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is not a fabricator or a liar, because only the most evil of people who do not believe in the signs of Allah, the kuffar and heretics who are known amongst the people for telling lies, tell lies about Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

The Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was the most truthful of people, the most righteous, and the most perfect in knowledge, action, faith and certain belief. He was known amongst his people for his truthfulness; none of them doubted that, to such an extent that he was known amongst them as 'al-Ameen (the trustworthy) Muhammad.

Hence when Heraclius, the ruler of Rome, asked Abu Sufyaan about the characteristics of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), one of the things he asked was, 'Did you ever accuse him of lying before he said what he said?' He said, 'No.' Heraclius said: 'If he refrained from telling lies about people he would not go and tell lies about Allah.' (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, 2/588)

2. It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "The signs of the hypocrite are three: when he speaks, he lies; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; and when he is entrusted with something, he betrays that trust." (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 33; Muslim, 59). Al-Nawawi said: "What the commentators and most of the scholars said - which is correct - is that this means that these characteristics are the characteristics of hypocrisy, and the one who has these characteristics resembles the hypocrites in this sense.'

The words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), 'he is a pure hypocrite' mean that he strongly resembles the hypocrites because of these characteristics. Some of the scholars said: this is concerning one in whom these characteristics predominate; one in whom these characteristics rarely appear is not included in this.

This is the favoured view concerning the meaning of this hadith. Imam Abu 'Eesa al-Tirmidhi (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated this meaning from the scholars and said: 'The meaning of this according to the scholars is hypocrisy in one's actions.'" (Sharh Muslim, 2/46-47)

Lying in jest:
Some people think that it is permissible to tell lies if it is in jest. This is the excuse that they use for telling lies on April 1st or on other days. This is wrong. There is no basis for this in the pure sharee'ah. Lying is haram whether the one who does it is joking or is serious. Lying in jest is haram just like other kinds of lies.

It was narrated that Ibn 'Umar said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, 'I joke, but I speak nothing but the truth.'" (narrated by al-Tabaraani in al-Mu'jam al-Kabeer, 12/391). This hadith was classed as hasan by al-Haythami in Majma' al-Zawaa'id, 8/89, and classed as Sahih by Shaikh al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) in Sahih al-Jaami, 2494)

'Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Abi Laylaa said: the companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) told us that they were traveling with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). A man among them fell asleep and some of them went and took his arrows. When the man woke up, he got alarmed (because his arrows were missing) and the people laughed.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "What are you laughing at?" They said, "Nothing, except that we took the arrows and he got alarmed." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "It is not permissible for a Muslim to frighten another Muslim." (Narrated by Abu Dawood, 5004; Ahmad, 22555 - this version narrated by Ahmad). This hadith was classed as sahih by al-Albani in Sahih al-Jaami', 7658)

It was narrated from 'Abd-Allah ibn al-Saa'ib ibn Yazid from his father from his grandfather that he heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: "None of you should take the belongings of his brother, whether in jest or otherwise. Whoever has taken the stick of his brother, let him return it." (Narrated by Abu Dawood, 5003; al-Tirmidhi, 2160 in brief. The hadith was classed as hasan by Shaikh al-Albani in Sahih al-Jaami', 7578)

Lying when playing with children:
We must beware of lying when playing with children, because that will be written down (in the record of deeds of) the one who does that. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) warned against doing that. It was narrated that 'Abd-Allah ibn 'Aamir (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "My mother called me one day when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was sitting in our house. She said, 'Come here, and I will give you (something).' The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, 'What do you want to give him?' She said, 'I will give him a date.' The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: 'If you had not given him something, you would have been lying.'"

And it was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: 'Whoever says to a child, 'Come here and take this,' then does not give him something, this is counted as a lie.'" (Narrated by Abu Dawood, 4991. This hadith was classed as hasan by Shaikh al-'Albani in Sahih al-Jaami', 1319.)

Lying to make people laugh:
It was narrated that Mu'awiyah ibn Haydah said: "I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: 'Woe to the one who talks to make the people laugh and tells lies, woe to him, woe to him.'" (narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 235. He said: this is a hasan hadith. Also narrated by Abu Dawood, 4990.

I would recommend books like The Quran, The Prophets Biography, Du'a the Weapon of a Believer, Quran Atlas, or any other really good book to do with the History of Islam, Islam in General and about Heroes of Islam,for example, Ibn Taymiyyah.
 

NewMuslim

Slave of Allah
As Salaamu Alaykum
I think that sister umm hussain is taking the strict perspective. I would say that fiction is allowed as long as it doesn't talk about things that'll make you want to do something bad or make you believe something false. In the Hadith and the Qur'an, fiction wasn't prohibited, nor was anything like it. So I would say it's ok. Remember to not oppress yourself, and also remember that nowhere in the Qur'an or Hadith is fiction prohibited (and yes, there were fiction books back then).
 

proud2bemuslim

ALLAH HU AKBAR
:salam2:

I agree with Umm Hussain that fiction is not allowed. The definition of fiction is something feigned, invented, or imagined. Therefore why would you want to read something that is made up and a lie in the first place. If you want read then read the Qur'an. And sister if you want to improve your vocabulary then buy an english dictionary or book that teaches english vocabulary. May Allah guide us all.
 

Abdul-Raheem

Signing Out.....
:salam2:

To be honest, a while back, I loved reading non fiction books. Spent a lot of time reading. I could read forever lol. Anyway, looking back now, I regret all the time I spent reading, even though it really helped improve my vocab. At present, I still read a lot but it's mostly for studies. Nowadays, I really can't get into a story (non-fiction), even if I wanted to as I realise that it doesn't really benefit me. Whenever I have time to read, I like to read about Islam. This may seem boring to some, but I find learning about the prophets, companions and all aspects of Islamic history is more interesting than any novel I've ever read. If the english is really good in the books, it will even help improve your vocabulary.

wasalam
 

Dawoodi

Junior Member
salam walaikum.

salam walaikum


its a fiction history a lie? first we should be sure the clasificationt of it.


so for instance i have imagen a green cow driving a bicicle...is this a lie? or just a imagination?

what about if i decide to tell some one of what i have imagen and i state its something i have imagen...am i lieing?


and what about of me writhing this history for others to read it?

am i lieing? o just shearing something that just pop on my mind.


what do u think about this?

and what about the fatwas about fictional animal caracters or cartoons for childrens and education. its this a lie too?

mmm and what about to tell a history made up as an analogy to explaing a point? is this fiction too?

:SMILY209:

please be careful to rush into staments and making istihad into something you not sure and giving your opinion this is not from islam.

so ask the scolars about and if its halal or haram.


salam w.
 

NewMuslim

Slave of Allah
As Salaamu Alaykum
Look at this:

Seest thou not how Allah sets forth a parable? - A goodly word like a goodly tree, whose root is firmly fixed, and its branches (reach) to the heavens,- of its Lord. So Allah sets forth parables for men, in order that they may receive admonition. (Qur'an 14:24)

A parable is a fictional story that has a religious lesson at the end. The Qur'an also contains some parables. Does that mean that Allah (SWT) is a lier and that we shouldn't read the Qur'an? No! It just means that fictional stories can be read. Remember: don't make what's Halal, Haraam. It's a great sin.
 

Abdul-Raheem

Signing Out.....
:salam2:

I'm not saying it's haram or not. Just a personal opinion about what I prefer doing instead of reading fictional novels etc. I understand and agree with your point about parables, but you can't compare parables with non-fiction can you? By non-fiction I mean fantasy, adventure, mystery, romance etc. Parables serve a purpose while most novels are just for entertainment.

wasalam
 

NewMuslim

Slave of Allah
:salam2:

I'm not saying it's haram or not. Just a personal opinion about what I prefer doing instead of reading fictional novels etc. I understand and agree with your point about parables, but you can't compare parables with non-fiction can you? By non-fiction I mean fantasy, adventure, mystery, romance etc.

wasalam

Walaykum Salaam
It wasn't directed to you, brother. It was directed to those who think that fiction is Haraam.

Though I agree that it's better to read Al-Qur'an than fiction.
 

proud2bemuslim

ALLAH HU AKBAR
:salam2:
Is reading novels allowed in islam?

I love reading fiction and do it mostly to get a better vocabulary, but lately I've been wondering if it's halal or not. Practically all fiction include something forbidden in Islam such as backbiting, relationships with the opposite gender (not necessarily a love relationship) etc.

And if it is allowed, can you please recommend me authors and/or books which are ok in an islamic perspective?

:salam2:

I take it back that all fiction is Haraam. I'm not a religious scholar or judge but I believe the sister was referring to fiction as in backbiting, relationships with the opposite gender. This type of fiction is HARAAM in Islam in my opinion. I just gave my personal opinion which could benefit the sister by reading Quran or Islam (History, Prophets, and Companions, etc.) to improve her vocabulary.
 

umm hussain

Junior Member
asalam alaikum

Question:
Is it OK to read books on Science fiction where a mad scientist creates a human being or a hybrid between a human and an animal?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

If these stories include lies, such as Darwin’s theory (evolution), and other things that are contrary to the facts stated by Islam and the facts of natural science, then the Muslim should avoid them, and keep himself busy with something that will be of use to him, such as learning good things or doing righteous deeds or reading true stories and historical accounts and so on. Many of the movies and novels that are known as “Science Fiction” include a lot of kufr, such as putting life and death in the hands of some created being, giving creatures the ability to create from nothing, saying that scientists in laboratories can create from nothing, making inanimate things come alive, creating life from a fossil that has been dead for many millenia, or travelling to the future then coming back to the present. All of this is impossible, and no one knows the unseen except for Allaah. Some of these novels and movies also include clear contradictions of historical facts that are mentioned in the Qur’aan and Sunnah, such as man’s creation and his life on earth. When the Muslim indulges in reading these books or watching these movies, it shakes his belief or at the very least wastes his time and keeps him busy with something that is of no benefit to him. Some people claim that this is just entertainment and a way of passing time, but entertainment is not permitted if it is haraam, and the Muslim’s time is too precious to be wasted on such trivial things. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “One of the signs of a person being properly committed to Islam is that he leaves alone that which does not concern him.” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, 2239, and others. Also in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 5911). And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
 

subhanallah

Junior Member
:salam2:
Thank you everyone for responding - I really appreciate it! I thought about my question myself after I'd posed it and realised how stupid it was. If I do want to improve my language there's plenty of non-fiction books that'll actually teach you something more than just language (such as science, how the nature works etc.).

About reading Islamic books instead: can you please recommend me a specific title of a book you found interesting, something worth buying?

:jazaak:
 

amyaishazouaoui

Junior Member
One of the best books I have read recently has to be " From my sisters lips by naima bint robert. Its a must read for everyone, muslim or not.
 

NewMuslim

Slave of Allah
As Salaamu Alayukum


That answer doesn't give any proof for what it's saying, besides a Hadith towards the end which is obviously talking about nosey people and not fiction.

Anyways, I would say that you shouldn't read too much fiction. Remember to avoid too much idle talk.

I would suggest that you read "Muhammad: The Messenger of Allah" (get it for free here (just do a little searching for the book): http://freequran.com), "A Brief Illustrated Guide to Understanding Islam" (get it for free here: http://islam-guide.com), and "Towards Understanding Islam" (get it for free here (just do a little searching for the book): http://freequran.com). Or, you can get all of these books by ordering the "New Muslims gift" on the front page of http://freequran.com.

Khalid Bin Waleed: The Sword of Allah is also a great book. Download it for free here: http://www.imaanstar.com/khalid.php

The Qur'an and Hadith are also great reads, of course. Order a free English Qur'an here: http://freequran.com and get an online book of Hadith translated into English (contains all of Bukhari, all of Muslim, all of Malik, and all of Dawud, ALL FREE) here: http://www.imaanstar.com/hadith.php

If you can't wait for a Qur'an to be delivered in the mail, you can get one free online here: http://www.imaanstar.com/quran.php
 

Globalpeace

Banned
Interesting

Asslamo Allaikum,

Most of the stories that are told to the children are "FICTIONAL" in the strictest sense of the word...Off course the children are taught these stories for the "MORAL"

A lot of the stories which are on this very site are also fictional but are stated for the moral (essense, lesson) reasons.......(point 5 in the definition below)

Poetry is fiction and there is plenty of it in Islam and outside of it as everyone is aware of

So this is a very interesting topic and I am NOT qualified to issue a judgement but if one is to take the "literal" definition of fiction and apply the fatwa as stated then most stories, examples, parables would be HARAM as overwhelming majority of them are fiction....

When one gives Dawah one uses a lot of hypotethical stories, examples, parables again a lot of them are fiction....(point 5 in the definition below)

My point is that fiction is very often used to make a point which would be otherwise hard to grasp by people....In my humble opnion reading Novels (stupid romantic ones particularly) can be HARAM because of wasting time and reading things which are contrary to Islam (in essense) but it may be difficult to simply BAN everything which is fiction and declare it HARAM as this would result in a lot of problems...Studying science would become impossible because all hypothesis are FICTION!

I am sure all of us use fiction in everyday live...afterall EVERYTHING which is NOT a fact is FICTION!


Now the dictionary definition of the word is as follows:

fic·tion /ˈfɪkʃən/ *!*!*!*!unciation Key - Show Spelled *!*!*!*!unciation[fik-shuhn] *!*!*!*!unciation Key - Show IPA *!*!*!*!unciation
–noun
1. the class of literature comprising works of imaginative narration, esp. in prose form.
2. works of this class, as novels or short stories: detective fiction.
3. something feigned, invented, or imagined; a made-up story: We've all heard the fiction of her being in delicate health.
4. the act of feigning, inventing, or imagining.
5. an imaginary thing or event, postulated for the purposes of argument or explanation.
6. Law. an allegation that a fact exists that is known not to exist, made by authority of law to bring a case within the operation of a rule of law.


P.S: Always asking for more knowledgable Brothers/Sisters to correct my understanding

P.P.S: I personally hate romance novels and movies about Love & stuff [what's wrong with Casino Royale :) ] & I particularly abhor & detest stupid Indian Bollywood Stuff...but thats my opnion and all have a right to disagree

I havn't seen Casino Royale Folks...just making a fictional point :)
 

subhanallah

Junior Member
:salam2:
Thank you so much both of you for your tips! I'm checking out the books right now :hijabi:
May Allah reward you with the best!
 

kayleigh

Junior Member
It's my understanding that you're reading for pleasure, and not for school. I really have no authority to speak on anything found in the Qur'an or hadith. However, it's my understand that education is highly valued - not only in today's society but in Islam as well. In nearly all Western schools, and perhaps many schools all over the world, reading fiction is required. It improves vocabulary, can give you perspective into historical periods, and can teach you many things about life.

I'm not saying you should go out and read the latest paperback in the supermarket aisles, but I don't see how reading solid fictional books, such as "classics", can hurt you. In fact, I think it can benefit you. Things I learned in my English class from reading fictional literature can be applied to many different subjects and many areas of life.
 
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