Shar‘i Ruling on Watching Indian Dramas While Fasting
Written by: Qari Usama bin Abdus Salam (Hafizahullah)❖ Why Should Unnecessary Entertainment Be Avoided During Fasting?
During fasting, any activity that diverts a person from Allah and immerses them in worldly pleasures must be avoided. According to the Qur'an and Hadith, fasting is not limited to abstaining from food and drink—it also requires refraining from all forms of sin, indecency, and vain activities.
➊ Qur'anic Perspective
Allah Almighty says:
"يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ"
(Surah Al-Baqarah: 183)
"O you who believe! Fasting has been prescribed upon you as it was prescribed upon those before you, so that you may attain taqwa (piety)."
Insight: The primary goal of fasting is to develop taqwa (God-consciousness). Any act that contradicts this—such as watching indecent content—compromises the spiritual essence of fasting.Indian TV dramas, which commonly feature vulgarity, music, and indecent themes, go against this purpose and can diminish the spiritual reward of fasting.
➋ Prophetic Teachings
Hadith 1:
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"Whoever does not give up false speech and acting upon it, then Allah has no need for him to give up his food and drink."
(Sahih Bukhari: 1903)
Explanation: Fasting involves more than physical restraint—it demands a commitment to truthfulness, modesty, and sincerity. Hadith 2:
The Prophet ﷺ also said:
"There are many who fast, yet they gain nothing from their fast except hunger and thirst."
(Ibn Majah: 1690)
Explanation: A fast loses its value if one’s eyes, ears, and tongue are engaged in sin—such as watching immoral content or listening to impermissible speech and music.➌ Ruling on Watching Indian Dramas During Fasting
- If the drama contains:
✔ Indecent scenes
✔ Unlawful male-female interactions
✔ Romantic music and songs
✔ Un-Islamic values and customs
✔ Vulgar language or sinful behavior
Then watching such content—especially while fasting—is highly inappropriate and spiritually damaging. It weakens the taqwa-oriented purpose of fasting and leads to heedlessness.➍ Conclusion
Watching Indian dramas during fasting is against the spirit and objective of fasting.Such content distracts the heart and mind from the remembrance of Allah and feeds desires instead of suppressing them, which is the very opposite of what fasting is meant to achieve.
➎ Recommended Alternatives During Fasting
✔ Reciting the Qur'an
✔ Engaging in Dhikr and Du‘ā
✔ Performing righteous deeds and charity
✔ Studying Islamic teachings
✔ Fulfilling Sunnah practices
Ramadan is a golden opportunity for spiritual purification, and replacing harmful entertainment with acts of worship brings immeasurable rewards.
