What is the ruling on participating in da'wah (preaching) through satellite channels?

Praise be to Allah, and prayers and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and companions.

Inviting to goodness is fundamental in Islam and requires means to achieve its goals. Modern media have emerged, and scholars differ in their rulings on participating in them.

One group views participation as impermissible because these media are founded on falsehood and promote forbidden acts. They cite verses that prohibit delving into Allah's verses and falsehood, and hadiths that forbid sitting in gatherings of evil.

Another group views participation as permissible for the purpose of inviting to Allah. They argue that these means are originally permissible, and that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to attend pre-Islamic markets and interact with polytheists for the sake of dawah. They also assert that speaking the truth is an obligation in every place and time, and that the benefits of participation (such as spreading dawah to a wide audience) outweigh its harms.

After weighing the two opinions, we find the second opinion more sound, provided certain restrictions and conditions are observed. The most important of these are: that the platform be suitable for dawah and free from forbidden acts, that the caller strongly believes in the effectiveness of participation, and that the participant be qualified and knowledgeable.