Mother wants son to keep TV
21-4-2016 | IslamWeb
Question:
Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuhu. Respected, revered Shaikh, my question is the following: my respected mother is asking to keep a television in order to watch entertainment channels, but I refused to do so, praise be to Allaah, because I cannot go against the Quran and Sunnah. I live in Saudi Arabia, and my mother told me that she would only stay with me if I can provide TV. Please reply to me in the light of the Quran and Sunnah. May Allaah, The Exalted, reward you. Ameen. May Allaah reward you.
Answer:
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
If these entertainment channels that your mother wants to watch air shows that include violations of Islam, such as singing and music, then it is impermissible for you to get her a television because this constitutes helping her in committing a prohibited act and obeying her in what constitutes disobedience to Allaah. Allaah says (what means): {...And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression. And fear Allaah; indeed, Allaah is severe in penalty.} [Quran 5:2] It has been narrated on the authority of 'Ali 
that the Prophet, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, said, “There is no obedience to a creature in what constitutes disobedience to the Creator.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
However, if these channels do not air such violations, then the scholars stated that children are obliged to obey their parents in whatever benefits the parents and does not cause harm to the children. This is a general criterion in obedience to the parents, as has been clarified in fatwa 84942.
Allaah knows best.