Watching videos with background music as part of course materials

3-1-2018 | IslamWeb

Question:

Assalamu alaykum, Shaykhs. I have a question regarding course materials containing videos which include professors of opposite genders and even background music; if someone reads transcripts instead of watching these videos to learn course topics, can they continue the courses? May Allah reward you.

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

In regard to what you mentioned about videos containing images of men, then the scholars agreed that it is forbidden for a woman to look at a man with lust, and they differed in opinion if this was without lust; some forbade it and some permitted it. The most preponderant opinion is that it is permissible, especially when needed.

What remains to be considered is the background music in the videos. Music is forbidden, and it is not permissible to listen to it, as we have already highlighted in fatwa 81545. Therefore, you can turn down the volume so as to not hear the music and benefit from these videos.

As for only reading the transcripts (instead of watching the videos), then this is permissible, Allah willing.

Allah knows best