Faraz Rabbani – Weekly Q&A Is It Permissible to Be an Actor

Faraz Rabbani
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The speaker discusses the potential for an actor to act in films directed by Islamic values, but acknowledges that it depends on the actor's own experiences and context. The current "medest implementations" of storytelling and theater are criticized, but the film industry is also problematic. The speaker suggests that the actor should consult with teachers and consider the specifics of the actor's experiences.

AI: Summary ©

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			This question, is it permissible to be an
		
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			actor?
		
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			This is very tricky
		
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			because
		
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			depends on what one is acting,
		
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			what one does, and the context of which
		
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			one does it. Much of the entertainment industry,
		
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			has,
		
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			you know, themes and subject matters and content
		
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			that
		
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			is problematic Islamically, right? So theoretically
		
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			one could engage in permissible acting but you
		
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			have to consider
		
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			what you are doing and the context in
		
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			which you are doing it.
		
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			And what you are doing must be permissible
		
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			and the context in which you're doing it
		
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			must be permissible. So it, you know,
		
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			and in that one should consult about the
		
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			specifics but
		
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			it would be
		
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			And one adab of course
		
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			of gathering sessions like this is it's not
		
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			from the etiquette of gathering of knowledge for
		
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			those in attendance to be messaging others responses,
		
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			etcetera. There's
		
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			there are modes of acting that are also
		
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			permissible in many traditions. There would be traditions
		
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			of storytelling
		
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			and theater
		
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			that are permissible. I met,
		
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			one of the great Syrian Scholars who was
		
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			living in exile.
		
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			I met him in the
		
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			early 2000s, Sheikh Adib Saleh Rahimahullah
		
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			and
		
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			he'd advised many
		
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			Muslim theater groups on how to
		
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			have
		
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			theater productions that were
		
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			compliant with Islamic values and
		
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			in many parts of the Muslim world historically
		
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			they had,
		
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			you
		
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			know, Dua movements would do you know when
		
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			they go to village areas etcetera
		
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			they do
		
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			they would act out Islamic teachings in ways
		
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			that
		
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			that were
		
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			that people could relate to but through store
		
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			through principled storytelling
		
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			yet they would call to Allah SWT
		
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			or convey good values. So there
		
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			are ways, so it's not a question of
		
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			course it's not permissible, there are but the
		
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			prevalent
		
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			movie and film industry is deeply problematic, it's
		
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			not a place where someone who wishes to
		
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			cultivate their faith would
		
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			be residing. But people find themselves in difficult
		
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			circumstances, that's where one should be in consultation
		
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			with,
		
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			teachers.