The imamate of one who watches films and listens to qawwali

Question

A certain regular imam constantly watches films and also goes to listen to qawwali (Sufi devotional singing with music); his son’s trade is also in cinema. He himself leads the prayer, and standing in the imam’s place he says: “What is [there] in us?” Kindly write a reply to this.

Answer

Watching films and listening to qawwali is a defect in its own right. To consider oneself flawless despite this is a very great defect. The prohibition of qawwali is found in Sakb al-Anhur, al-Fatawa al-Bazzaziyya and Tanqih al-Fatawa al-Hamidiyya.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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