Learn about Al-Azhar's fatwa regarding showing and watching the Muawiyah series

The series "Muawiyah" continues to stir controversy due to religious issues related to the portrayal of Islamic characters in drama and the world of acting, and the matter became more controversial after it was announced that it would be shown in Ramadan 2025 on the Saudi MBC channels, as well as "MBC Egypt", which raises widespread questions about the prohibition of showing the series.

Al-Azhar Fatwa on the series

Although Al-Azhar Al-Sharif has not yet published an official fatwa on their website regarding the series, local newspapers quoted the Senior Scholars Authority at Al-Azhar as saying that their position on portraying the companions has been clear for years, as they previously rejected works that dealt with historical Islamic figures such as the series “Omar Ibn Al-Khattab.” The position rejecting the portrayal of the companions remains constant, which is what raises controversy regarding this work. Get the latest celebrity ads directly on the Special app, where we show you everything new from international stars.

The position of the Egyptian Dar Al Iftaa

On the other hand, an Egyptian newspaper reported that the Egyptian Dar al-Iftaa confirmed that representing historical figures in drama is not forbidden, but it set several conditions, namely that they be presented in a manner befitting their status, and avoiding distorting their biography. Dar al-Iftaa set special conditions regarding the representation of the Companions, and it confirmed the prohibition of embodying the ten figures who were promised Paradise, the Mothers of the Believers, and the honorable family of the Prophet.

Representing the Companions in the series "Muawiyah" The series features some characters who are promised paradise, such as Caliph Uthman ibn Affan and Caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib, which raises deeper controversy. There were legal calls to stop the series from being shown in Egypt because of the portrayal of the character of Ali ibn Abi Talib, as lawyer Haitham Al-Maghribi announced his desire to file a lawsuit against the series because of the portrayal of that character by Jordanian artist Eyad Nassar.

Lawsuit against the series

Counselor Haitham Al-Maghribi posted on his official Facebook account that he will file a lawsuit against the series, MBC channel, and the production company due to the portrayal of the character of the Commander of the Faithful, Ali bin Abi Talib. He also confirmed the existence of a religious fatwa from Al-Azhar Al-Sharif prohibiting the portrayal of the Prophet’s family in dramatic works, and announced his invitation to join the lawsuit for everyone who belongs to the Ashrafs Syndicate.

Muawiyah series heroes The Muawiyah series includes a group of the brightest Arab stars, namely:

Lujain Ismail as Muawiyah bin Abi Sufyan Eyad Nassar as Ali bin Abi Talib Ayman Zidan in the role of Othman bin Affan Wael Sharaf in the role of Amr Ibn Al-Aas Fadi Sabih in the role of Abu Sufyan Samir Al Masry Names of Galal Susan Badr Written by Khaled Salah Directed by Ahmed Madhat

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Production cost and forecast Some reports stated that its production cost exceeded $100 million, making it one of the largest television productions in the Arab world.