Will Watching Haram Content On a Course Make My Qualification Haram?

Answered by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Question

I am studying premed in college. Last year, I took a course in my college called Speculative Fiction & Film. It contained watching, reviewing, and commenting on films that contained violence, torture, sci-fi, nudity, etc. I know all of this is haram, but at that time, I was not concerned, and I didn’t know that this course would contain all these things.  Are the credits and grades of this course going to be haram on my transcript and degree? Will my premed and future doctor degree be haram? What about applying to graduate schools using the transcript, which will have this course’s credits and grades?

Answer

I pray you are well.

The only haram element in what you did was watching the haram content. For that, you should repent. A good and effective means is the prayer of repentance.

Beyond that, your future qualifications and income will not be affected by this sin. They will be lawful, and you don’t need to worry about them.

Do your best to not do these actions again, but if you slip up, return to repentance. “Indeed, Allah loves those who thoroughly purify themselves and those to repeatedly repent.” (Quran, 2:222)
May Allah pardon our mistakes and protect us from their consequences.

[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat began his studies in Arabic Grammar and Morphology in 2005. After graduating with a degree in English and History, he moved to Damascus in 2007, where, for 18 months, he studied with many erudite scholars. In late 2008 he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continued his studies for the next six years in Sacred Law (fiqh), legal theory (Usul al-fiqh), theology, hadith methodology, hadith commentary, and Logic. He was also given licenses of mastery in the science of Quranic recital, and he was able to study an extensive curriculum of Quranic sciences, tafsir, Arabic grammar, and Arabic eloquence.