What prophetic principles can guide our family’s media choices in daily life? 

Parenting Perspective 

The media a family consumes has a profound impact on its shared values, habits, and overall emotional climate. As parents, our role is not just to block harmful content, but to intentionally fill our homes with media that reflects truth, kindness, and moral clarity. The prophetic approach encourages us to filter all of life’s choices through a lens of purpose and accountability. 

Start with Your ‘Family Values’ Filter 

Before you can filter media, you need a filter. Discuss openly with your children what your family stands for—respect, honesty, compassion, modesty—and agree to use these principles as a checklist when choosing what to watch. This makes decisions feel less like a parent’s arbitrary control and more like the family living by its own shared code. 

Model and Explain Your Choices 

Children absorb far more from what they see than from what they are told. When you choose one programme over another, briefly explain your reasoning in a way that goes back to your values. You could say, ‘We are choosing this documentary because it teaches us something amazing about Allah’s creation,’ or ‘Let’s skip that one, as it seems to make fun of people, and our family values kindness’. This models ethical decision-making in real time. 

Make It a Collaborative Process 

Rather than imposing rules in isolation, involve your children in the process of choosing films, shows, and games that align with your family’s principles. Give them the space to suggest alternatives that they think fit your shared values. This fosters trust and reduces resistance, while also training them to think critically and responsibly about the media they consume. 

When you weave prophetic principles into these everyday decisions, media stops being a silent, passive influence and becomes an active and conscious part of your family’s moral growth. 

Spiritual Insight 

The holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ consistently guided the believers towards that which is pure and beneficial, and away from that which harms the heart and distracts the soul. 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Hujuraat (49), Verse 6: 

‘O you, who are believers, if there comes to you a deviant (person) with information, then cross-examine it…’ 

This verse teaches us the critical importance of verifying and filtering the information and influences we allow into our lives, lest they negatively shape our thoughts and actions. 

It is recorded in Jami Tirmidhi, Hadith 2318, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘Part of the perfection of a person’s Islam is his leaving that which does not concern him.’ 

This profound hadith teaches us that not every piece of entertainment or information is worthy of our time and attention. A key part of faith is learning to focus on what truly nurtures our character and brings us closer to Allah. By applying these principles, families can navigate their media choices in a way that strengthens faith, protects the heart, and cultivates a home where both joy and righteousness can flourish.