Ruling on producing TV reports, and ruling on the wealth earned thereby

Firstly: 

We praise Allaah for having blessed you with guidance and we ask Him to help you to be guided more, and to make your heart steadfast in faith and to cleanse you of sin. 

You should realize that no matter how vast this world may seem to a person, his fate is a constricted abode which is the grave. No matter how great its delights, the fate of his body is to be food for the worms. Remember that the real life is the life of the Hereafter, and that the place where the Muslim wants to live is Paradise, where there is no worry or grief or sickness or boredom, and he will enjoy the blessings and bounties of Allaah. 

With regard to your current work, you do not doubt that it involves many haraam things, and that is indeed the case. Every report that you help to prepare contains something haraam, such as music, adorned women or promotion of something haraam that goes against sharee’ah, so you have a share of sin commensurate with your participation in preparing it. This is a kind of cooperating in sin and transgression which Allaah has forbidden: “but do not help one another in sin and transgression. And fear Allaah. Verily, Allaah is Severe in punishment”

[al-Maa’idah 5:2]. 

Allaah has commanded us to strive on earth and seek provision, but He has forbidden us to earn by haraam means. All work which plays a part in creating evil and spreading it among people is haraam work, and it is obvious to you that the people getting used to evils such as adornment of women, mixing and music and so on is largely caused by the media. 

Thirdly: 

What we advise you to do is to look for a permissible job in the same field, and do not hasten to leave if you find another field which is Islamically acceptable, even if that leads to your working in a field that is not your speciality. But if you find an opportunity in your field and the work is permissible, then move to that job. If that is not possible and there are few opportunities to find permissible work in your department or in another department, then you have no choice but to leave this job, seeking reward with Allaah for leaving it, and hoping that by obeying your Lord and keeping away from everything that may anger Him, Allaah will honour you in this world and the next. Remember that if you fear Allaah with regard to yourself and your job and wealth, then you have a promise from Him of good in this world and in the Hereafter, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And whosoever fears Allaah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty).

3. And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine. And whosoever puts his trust in Allaah, then He will suffice him. Verily, Allaah will accomplish his purpose. Indeed Allaah has set a measure for all things”

[al-Talaaq 65:2-3]

Fourthly: 

As for the wealth that you previously acquired, it is subject to further discussion. 

1.

If you did not know that your work was haraam, then the money that you earned and accumulated is permissible, and you may dispose of it as prescribed by Allaah. We have quoted the fatwa of Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) concerning a similar case in the answer to question no. 12397. 

2.

If you did know that your work was haraam, then if you can work out what proportion of your work was haraam and take out the proportionate amount from your wealth and donate it to various charitable causes, and make use of the rest, then that is permissible for you. That applies if not all of your work is haraam, and working out the rate is up to you. 

3.

There is nothing wrong with you giving your mother some of the money that you intend to spend on Hajj – if your situation matches the second scenario above – and there is nothing wrong with her accepting it, because money that is haraam because of how it is acquired is only haraam for the one who acquires it, not the one to whom it is transferred. 

And Allaah knows best.