Can a husband prevent his wife/daughters/children from purchasing and viewing so-called "family" magazines (eg: Cosmopolitan,Femmina, Men's Health) as they contain many un-Islamic images/articles.

from the Darul Ifta%0D%0A%0D%0AQ: Can a person read magazines like Personality, Scope, You, etc. which have%0D%0Anude pictures, aspects of 'love making' as well as some good tips like%0D%0Arecipes and health guidelines?%0D%0A%0D%0AA: Almighty Allah Ta'ala has created human beings in pairs, males and%0D%0Afemales. Every male and female by human nature is attracted to the forms,%0D%0Ashapes and colour of the opposite sex. Similarly males and females are%0D%0Aattracted to some outstanding feminine and masculine qualities respectively.%0D%0AAttraction to the opposite sex has its positive factors, for example,%0D%0Amarriage, procreation etc. as well as negative factors which includes every%0D%0Aillicit and licentious relationship of incest, rape, masturbation, adultery,%0D%0Aprostitution, etc, etc, etc. Human beings by nature are prone to commit%0D%0Aevil, therefore the sensitive instinct of attraction has to be regulated by%0D%0Athe perfect Divine Laws of Our Creator, Allah Ta'ala who is all knowing%0D%0Aabout the nature of mankind. The Quran and the Ahaadith are replete with%0D%0Aorders that protect one from becoming a victim of the negative factors of%0D%0Aattraction to the opposite sex, hence the institution of Hijaab for females,%0D%0Athe prohibition of talking to males with an alluring tone, the prohibition%0D%0Ato apply perfume and exit the home, the prohibition for males and females to%0D%0Alower their gazes, etc.%0D%0A%0D%0ASince human beings are prone to evil, they revolt against such laws that%0D%0Arequires them to suppress their desires. In the prime stages of Islam, when%0D%0ARasulullah (sallahu alayhi wa sallam) began reciting and propagating the%0D%0AQuran, which requires a believer to suppress one's desires and submit to the%0D%0ALaws of Allah Ta'ala, a mushrik Nadr ibn Haris conspired to import foreign%0D%0Aliterature to Makkah Mukkaramah having unIslamic contents in them in order%0D%0Ato impede the propagation of Islam.Almighty Allah Ta'ala has condemned such%0D%0Aliterature. He says, 'And among men are those who purchase lahwal hadeeth%0D%0A(futile talks) which misleads from the path of Allah Ta'ala without%0D%0Aknowledge, for them is a painful punishment.' (Luqman - verse 6). Even%0D%0Atoday, disbelievers propagate their culture and practices by publishing such%0D%0Aliterature and circulating them as widely as possible.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe reason behind the conspiracy is that a human being is stealthy. Just as%0D%0Ahe is sensitive to the different seasons of the year, so too is he sensitive%0D%0Ato people's character and conduct and can be influenced to assume and%0D%0Aimitate other people's evil character and conduct. Such evil and immoral%0D%0Abehaviour then become his principles of life and govern every aspect of his%0D%0Alife. Allah Ta'ala has pointed out the consequences of such literature as%0D%0Adeviating one from the path of Allah. Such literature has the potential of%0D%0Aactually depriving one of his Islamic values and morals (Maariful Quran%0D%0Avol.6). Allah Ta'ala mentions in the Quran - "Verily those people who love%0D%0Ato spread evil among the believers, for them is a painful punishment".%0D%0A(Noor-verse19)The different types of contemporary magazines, You,%0D%0APersonality, Scope etc. promotes the western culture of freedom and are%0D%0Afilled with every type of evil, swingers club, pornography, sex over the%0D%0Aphone, contact numbers for prostitutes. Such literature also falls in the%0D%0Acategory of lahwal-hadees (futile talks) which deviates one from the%0D%0Astraight path. The negative factors in such magazines outweigh the possible%0D%0Apositive factors in them, for example baking tips, etc. Such beneficial%0D%0Ainformation could be made available through other avenues. It not%0D%0Apermissible to sell, purchase and read such magazines. The income from%0D%0Aselling such books will be haraam.%0D%0A%0D%0AMufti Ebrahim Desai%0D%0A%0D%0A