Acting the Sahabah

Q 3: What is the ruling on acting the Sahabah (Companions of the Prophet, may Allah be pleased with them) in school theaters?

A: The Council of Senior Scholars previously reviewed this question and issued the following decree:1. Allah (Exalted be He) has praised and set clear the high status of the Sahabah. Therefore, acting any of them on stage or on the screen is contrary to this divine praise and is detrimental to the high status and honor which Allah has bestowed upon them.2. Representing any of them in this way exposes them to mockery and ridicule. Actors are usually people who have no room for righteousness, piety, and Islamic morals in their lives. Moreover, those who put on plays are doing so as a means to earn money, and no matter how much they try to avoid it, it will involve some lying and backbiting. Acting the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) may have an effect on their status in the hearts and minds of the Muslims, or diminish the reverence they have for them, and paves the way for arousing doubts in Muslims about their religion and disputes over the personalities of the Sahabah. (Part No. 26; Page No. 264) It also necessarily implies that one of the actors will play the role of Abu Jahl and other Kafirs (disbelievers), thus he will have to utter words insulting Bilal, the Messenger (peace be upon him), and the Message of Islam that he brought. Undoubtedly, this is a great evil. This act may be targeted to confuse the Muslims about their creed, the Book of Allah, and the Sunnah of their Prophet (peace be upon him).3. If it is claimed that this serves the interest of calling people to Islam and spreading noble Islamic morals and etiquette through showing exact biographies of the Sahabah, this is simply an assumption and wishful thinking. Whoever knows the real nature and aims of actors will realize that acting these roles is in sharp contrast to the real character of actors, their standards, lives, and behaviors.4. It is basically stated in the principles of Shari`ah (Islamic law) that if a certain matter is definitely or probably harmful, it is forbidden. Acting the Sahabah may serve some interest, but the negative consequences are far greater than any good that may be achieved. Thus, to protect these interests, and to block the means leading to sins, and to preserve the honorable status of the Sahabah, we must prohibit this. May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings of Allah be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family and Companions.