Ruling on immoral magazines

Praise be to Allah.

The mutawaatir reports of the Sunnah show that making pictures or images is absolutely haraam and those who make pictures are cursed. Every maker of pictures will be in Hell, and every picture or image that he made will be given a soul and he will be punished by it in Hell. The makers of pictures will be the most severely punished of people. The picture-maker will be told to breathe life into the images he made; they will be punished and will be told, “Give life to that which you have created!” The prohibition is multiplied if these pictures cause temptation, such as pictures of naked women, or pictures of men with women. If that is haraam, then how about the magazines that promote this and call people to temptation, immorality, promiscuity and the means of doing wrong? Anyone who publishes such magazines, or sells them, gives them as a gift or buys them, partakes in the sin. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed wine and the one who sells it, the one who buys it, the one who makes it, the one for whom it is made, the one who drinks it, the one who serves it, the one who carries it, the one to whom it is carried, and the one who profits from it. The same applies to these magazines, whose bad effect on people’s morals, chastity and religion is sometimes worse than that of alcohol, especially when they contain deviant ideas and news of female performers and women who adorn themselves in the manner of jaahiliyyah. Publishing these magazines, writing articles for them, importing them and publicizing them means that one is taking part in this corruption, spreading immorality and calling for promiscuity, social disintegration and deviation from correct morals and modesty. Our advice to anyone who wants to attain salvation is to keep away from these magazines and have nothing to do with them in the slightest, in the hope of saving oneself and keeping one’s religion and honour safe. And Allaah knows best.