Is Going to Movies in Mixed Groups Permissible ?
Question
Is it permissible for young Muslims to go to movies with a group of friends, boys, and girls? What are the limits of interaction allowed between men and women in this regard ? ( Samih )
Answer
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
Dear questioner, thanks for your important question, we implore Allah Almighty to help us to understand the teachings of Islam.
Islam allows Muslim males and females to interact in a business-like environment with certain guidelines that should be strictly followed by members attending a certain event or sharing the same occasion. Moreover, movies are not rejected in Islam as long as they do not contain what is contradictory to the Shari`ah.
We do not refuse the idea of going to the cinema, but if it would lead people to commit sins, then it is be prohibited in Islam. Thus, going to movies is permissible as long as the content of the movie itself doesn't contain a prohibited element.
Responding to the question, Sheikh Muhammad Al-Mukhtar Al Shinqiti , director of the Islamic Center of South Plains, Lubbock, Texas, states the following:
First of all, we have to make sure the content of the movie is education and does not contradict the teachings of Islam. If it includes immoral scenes, then would not allowed in any case.
Second, we have to make sure that there is no khalwah or illicit privacy involving members of the opposite sex. The group should always stay together.Third, the boys should sit together, and the girls should sit in another group.Fourth, there can't be any sort of physical contact or immoral talk between members of the opposite sex.If the above mentioned conditions are met and the trip is both physically and morally safe, then it is permissible. However, if the members of the group are mainly teenagers, then teachers or family members must supervise them.
