Answer
Wa `alaykum As-Salamu waRahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
If a Muslim woman acts in a drama and her role is clean and free of all forms of obscenity, nudity, etc., and conforms to the ethical guidelines of Islam in regard to male and female interaction, then there is nothing wrong about it.
In responding to your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and an Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:
Drama is a medium. And like any other medium, it can be used for a good purpose; to promote virtue and prevent vices., Alternatively, as many people do, it can be used for promoting vices and corruption in society.
So, if a Muslim woman acts in a drama and her role is clean and free of all forms of obscenity, nudity, etc., and conforms to the ethical guidelines of Islam in regard to male and female interaction, etc., then there is nothing wrong about it; rather she may be rewarded for it.
We should know that women during the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) were active participants in the society. They gave lectures, taught people, recited poems, participated in battles, etc.
Therefore, let us not rush to condemn those who are using the media for projecting positive and ethical messages or promoting virtue and beauty of Islam.
Islam encourages everyone to be creative by developing their divinely endowed talents and excel in doing so.
Allah Almighty knows best.
Editor’s note: This fatwa is from Ask the Scholar’s archive and was originally published at an earlier date.