I intend to write a dark,you know,a tragedy story.Therfore there will be for sure bad guys in my story.There will be violence and bad language used.A lot of bad things will happen to the MC(main character)to make people symphathize with the character more. I have heard that u can't write about things like faashiha/fahish(abusive language and gambling,etc) My point is that if all I can write are good thing?that won't make anything interesting at all.Villans do like,gamble,kill and rape,etc. Sorry if I am not being clear but please try to answer my question? I have moral for the story and for that I have to put the MC in a cruel and harsh setting.Is that allowed in islam?Nothing I write will say anything against Islamic rules.Like saying gambling is right,etc. What about the kind of clothes the character can wear? I want to make my characters cool! Specifically,female.i know that female should wear clothes that shouldn't show to much skin.The thing is I don't want my character to wear abaya in the story.it would be weird as my story isn't focusing on religion.it focused on morals. I know I am not being clear but I hope someone can answer my question.Sorry if I said anything wrong.
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Is it permissible to read romance books seems relevant.– Medi1Saif ♦Jun 13, 2019 at 9:54
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By the way, I don't see where your second main question "what about writting romance genre?" fit in your question body, but I think you should ask it (if you have to) as a sperate question.– Learning Equals SuccessJun 14, 2019 at 19:45
1 Answer
Writing stories, in the first place, in Islam has conditions to be acceptable in a Shari’ah (Islamic law) view. You can't write a story that would waste readers' time, they are held accountable for it as well as you.
The Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) said:
The son of Adam will not be dismissed from his Lord on the Day of Resurrection until he is questioned about five issues: his life and how he lived it, his youth and how he used it, his wealth and how he earned it and he spent it, and how he acted on his knowledge.
Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2416 - Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Albani
As you can notice in the Hadith, there are two things that indicate the person's time, and that s/he will be asked about it.
So, the first thing to take into consideration in writing a story is to have a specific goal/purpose that would benefit the reader when reaching it at the end of the story. And what's more beneficial than the Islamic perspective of the worldly life and the afterward?! The events can play a major role in leading the reader for a conviction of that goal. You have stated that you want your story to be about morals which is a good thing to work at especially these times in which we are in a Fitnah period.
In Surah Al-Anfal (8)- Verse 25:
In Arabic (the exact wording):
وَاتَّقُواْ فِتْنَةً لاَّ تُصِيبَنَّ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ مِنكُمْ خَاصَّةً وَاعْلَمُواْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ
Its translation:
And fear a trial which will not strike those who have wronged among you exclusively, and know that Allah is severe in penalty.
- The trial that is intended in the verse is known in Arabic as Fitnah.
The Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) talked about morals in many Ahadith, one of them:
"If one has good manners, one may attain the same level of merit as those who spend their nights in prayer."
However, you should completely avoid narrating myths and legends; they are of no value in Muslims life and are similar to Israiliyyat stories.
What is left now, is the content of your story. You want it to include Haram things and deeds such as gambling, rape, bad language, and so on. This is not acceptable at all in Islam, and you can't excuse your wish to include them by saying you have good intentions. It is still possible to make a tragic story without having that specific content. You can forward your message (about the main character) with other ways that are, more importantly, permitted in Islam.
It is also prohibited to depict women such as describing their beauty, figures, features, and the like of what men desire.
Here are proofs from Qur'an, Sunnah, and an Islamic book that state that the following are prohibited in Islam:
About immoralities (AL-Fawahish)
{
In Surah Al-Araf (7) - Verse 33:
In Arabic (the exact wording):
...قُلْ إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ رَبِّيَ الْفَواحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ وَالإِثْمَ وَالْبَغْيَ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ
Its translation:
Say, "My Lord has only forbidden immoralities - what is apparent of them and what is concealed - and sin, and oppression without right.
}
About gambling and wine
{
In Surah Al-Baqara (2) - Verse 219:
In Arabic (the exact wording):
...يَسْـألُونَكَ عَنِ الْخَمْرِ وَالْمَيْسِرِ قُلْ فِيهِمَآ إِثْمٌ كَبِيرٌ وَمَنَافِعُ للنّاس وَإِثْمُهُمَآ أَكْبَرُ مِن نَّفْعِهِمَا
Its translation:
They ask you about wine and gambling. Say, "In them is great sin and [yet, some] benefit for people. But their sin is greater than their benefit."
}
About bad language
{
In Surah Al-Isra (17) - Verse 53:
In Arabic (the exact wording):
وَقُل لِّعِبَادِي يَقُولُواْ الَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يَنزَغُ بَيْنَهُمْ إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ كَانَ لِلإِنسَانِ عَدُوًّا مُّبِينًا
Its translation:
And tell My servants to say that which is best. Indeed, Satan induces [dissension] among them. Indeed Satan is ever, to mankind, a clear enemy.
}
About rape and killing
{
In the well-known Islamic legal book Fiqh-us-Sunnah, rape is included in a definition of Hiraba:
a single person or group of people causing public disruption, killing, forcibly taking property or money, attacking or raping women, killing cattle or disrupting agriculture.
}
About describing women
{
It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
No woman should look at or touch the body of another woman to describe her to her husband.
Narrated by Al-Bukhaari, 5240
}
But why can't you include those in your writing? It is because:
In Surah Al-Ma'idah (5) - Verse 49:
In Arabic (the exact wording):
وَأَنِ احْكُم بَيْنَهُمْ بِمَآ أَنزَلَ اللّه وَلاَ تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَآءهُمْ وَاحْذَرْهُمْ أَن يَفْتِنُوكَ عَن بَعْضِ مَآ أَنزَلَ اللّه إِلَيْكَ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْاْ فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللّه أَن يُصِيبَهُم بِبَعْضِ ذُنُوبِهِمْ وَإِنَّ كَثِيراً مِّنَ النّاس لَفَاسِقُونَ
Its translation:
And judge, [O Muhammad], between them by what Allah has revealed and do not follow their inclinations and beware of them, lest they tempt you away from some of what Allah has revealed to you. And if they turn away - then know that Allah only intends to afflict them with some of their [own] sins. And indeed, many among the people are defiantly disobedient.
Which can be interpreted for your case that you should resist the temptation of getting involved, in any way, in Haram things and to stay away from them. If you couldn't, then be sure that you committed sins that Allah is punishing you because of them by keeping His guidance away from you. And you would be labeled as Fasiq (a violator of Islamic law).
You can show the tragic, sadness, and suffering of one's life by throwing the light at the emptiness in his life of any relation/connection with Allah in which it would be genuine and right to work in his life efficiently. It is possible to write about that as an alternative to what you mentioned in your question. You can describe the changing process of the character life step by step toward the end you want to achieve in your story.
For more Ahadith about morals, see this website.
For knowing further about Israiliyyat, see this video for Mufti Menk
