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Concept/Boundaries Of Immersion While Reading & Watching Entertainment Media
Usually when Person A watches a movie they get immerse in the story in front of them to be entertained.
Scenario:
Person A watches a Fantasy Superhero Movie; Points to note before we move further in said scenario:
1. They are watchin it in fictional context for entertainment. Approachin it in fiction from start helps them draw a line beforehand if they encounter something in the story containin a plot point or scene that is set up in context of fiction/other religion belief system or/& which might be not very align with their own actual beliefs as a Muslim.
2. While immerse they react to the movie within set above point context.
A scene come in the movie where a character is Learning To Fly or Shoot Laser from their eyes; while immerse in story Person A encourage the character with a thought/statement “you can do this, I believe u got this” , this encouragment’s not the effirmating of their actual beliefs only the reaction in fictional context while immersin in the story in fiction for entertainment.
Question: Will they be sinful & more thinkin/saying such statement still, while knownin that their intention for said statement wasn’t in context of effirmating of their own actual beliefs?
Please answer within the context of example above, Thank you.
@meowmeow what’s ur opinion on this?
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7 Replies
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Concept/Boundaries Of Immersion While Reading & Watching Entertainment Media
updated 2 days, 21 hours ago
2 Members
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7
Replies
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In the scenario you described, there is no sin in this.
When people watch a movie, read a novel, or play a game, the human mind naturally immerses itself in the story. This is simply how storytelling works psychologically. Our brains temporarily treat the characters as if they are real so we can feel excitement, suspense, empathy, or encouragement. Reacting by thinking something like “you can do this” is just a normal emotional response to a narrative.
The important thing in Islam is belief and intention. If a person clearly understands that the story is fictional and does not actually believe in the supernatural powers or religious ideas shown in the story, then engaging with the story emotionally is not a problem. What matters is the boundary in your mind. If you know it is fiction and entertainment, then reacting to the story is simply part of human imagination. It only becomes problematic if a person starts accepting those ideas as real beliefs or becomes influenced by them in a way that changes their actual worldview.
Psychologically, humans have the ability to separate imagination from belief. We cry for characters in movies, feel tense during a thriller, or cheer for heroes even though we fully know none of it is real. Islam does not hold people accountable for this natural imaginative engagement.
A simple way to judge situations like this in the future is to ask yourself two questions:
1. Do I actually believe this is real or part of my faith?
2. Is this affecting my real beliefs or just part of enjoying a fictional story?
If the answer is that it is just fictional entertainment and your real beliefs remain clear, then there is generally no issue.
So in your example, encouraging a fictional character while watching a movie is simply a natural response to storytelling, not a statement of belief.
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I see, okay so adding a bit further in the Scenario:
This time Person A is watchin said above movie with a friend and says above discribed/written statement in front of that friend
Note: if the friend ask a question like ‘wait, do u ACTUALLY believe this statement as in for real?’ Person A answer would 100% be like you said ‘No, this is just a movie not real, this statement wasn’t the show of what they actually believe, it was only a reaction in a fiction while being immersed in the movie to be entertained’.
Question: Saying it in front of a friend there’s a chance big or small that the friend might assume Person A’s speakin in context of their belief if the friend never tries to confirm or a chance friend might get influneced by/even take said statement as their own actual belief.
Will Person A be blamed(sinful) for the friend’s misguidance due to misinterpretation that ended up changing the friends own beliefs? Note: that’s was never Person A intention.
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In this situation, Person A would not be sinful.
In Islam, a person is mainly responsible for their own intention and what they deliberately try to promote. In your example, Person A was simply reacting to a fictional story while watching a movie. There was no intention to promote a belief or misguide anyone.
Also, every individual is responsible for their own faith and understanding. People have their own conscience and ability to think. If someone misunderstands a casual reaction in a movie and starts forming beliefs from it, that is ultimately their own responsibility, not yours.
“No soul bears the burden of another.” (Qur’an 6:164)
So if you did not intend to promote something false and were simply enjoying a fictional story, then you are not accountable for how someone else might misinterpret it. If you were actively trying to convince people of something false, that would be different. But a natural reaction while watching a movie does not fall into that category.
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Just to be clear when u say ‘Person A was simply reacting to a fictional story while watching a movie’ and ‘So if you did not intend to promote something false and were simply enjoying a fictional story’ do you mean intention to promote false as truth belief or just promote as is doesn’t matter for one to be held accountable for misguidance? because to my understanding Person A reaction is in context of taking/immersing in the story in fiction not the statement made to effirm these belief as truth or to present it as such to their friend tho a chance remain that the friend could interpet it as such.
Example of this is a person using a same sentence in a diffenent tones and internal intent can have different meaning as we all know but are we to blame if someone interpet it as the meaning which is sinful or worse even if that wasn’t the op maker intent?
Sorry this is so confusing to me.
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I understand why this feels confusing, but the key thing to remember is what Islam actually holds a person accountable for.
When I said “intention to promote something false,” I meant presenting or spreading a belief as if it is true, or intentionally encouraging others to accept it as true. That is when a person could be responsible for misguidance.
In your example, Person A is not presenting the statement as a belief or truth. They are simply reacting emotionally to a fictional scene while watching a movie. The context is clearly entertainment and imagination.
Human communication always carries the possibility of misunderstanding. The same sentence can mean different things depending on tone, context, or situation. Islam does not hold people accountable for every possible misinterpretation someone else might make, especially when there was no intention to mislead.
Each person ultimately uses their own mind and judgment. If someone misunderstands a casual reaction to a movie and builds beliefs from it without asking or verifying, that responsibility lies with them.
A simple way to think about it is this:
If you intend to teach or promote a belief, then you are responsible for what you say.But if you are clearly engaging with fiction and not presenting it as truth, then you are not responsible for every possible misunderstanding others might create.
So in the situation you described, Person A would not be sinful, because their intention was simply to enjoy a fictional story, not to promote or affirm any belief. -
I see, Thank you for further clarification.
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Also @Irfan76 what’s ur opinion on this forum discussion and my question, Am I allowed to form my undertanding with this forum replies seeing that the reply to my question looks to be making sense to me or is getting the answer from a scholar like you is a must?
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