Is watching Ramadan 2025 Muawiya series haram in Islam?

 Ramadan 2025 kicked off yesterday with plenty of great series from different categories. However, one Syrian series caused a wide controversy on social media about whether it’s halal or haram to watch. 

Muawiya series has triggered massive controversy on social media since the moment it was announced the series will be aired during Ramadan 2025. After a long absence, MBC returns to historical drama with the series Muawiya, which is one of its largest productions for Ramadan 2025, and is shown exclusively on MBC and Shahid.

Is it haram to watch Ramadan 2025 Muawiya series? 

The series highlights the story of Muawiya I, the founder and first caliph of the Umayyad Caliphate, which is considered the point of contention between Sunni and Shia Muslims.

The Senior Scholars Authority at Al-Azhar Mosque issued a statement prohibiting the showing and watching of the series “Muawiya,” which was produced by the MBC in 2023, and refrained from broadcasting it.

Member of the Senior Scholars Authority at Al-Azhar, Abdel Fattah Abdel Ghani Al-Awari, said that “portraying the character of Muawiyah bin Abi Sufyan is religiously unacceptable,” noting that “the companions may not be portrayed under any circumstances in dramatic works.”

In addition, the Communications and Media Commission in Iraq decided on Saturday to ban the broadcast of the Muawiya series during Ramadan, pointing out that it could lead to sectarian disputes.

Episode 1 of Ramadan 2025 Muawiya series:

The first episode of Muawiya series began with a scene where Hind bint Utbah is giving birth to Muawiya bin Abi Sufyan amidst everyone’s celebrations of his arrival.

Her conversation with him about his future made a buzz online, as she described him as “her only achievement.” Then the scenes moved to the training Muawiya during his childhood, and the events continued as Hind bint Utbah appeared affected by the loss of a number of her family members in the Battle of Badr, vowing to avenge them.

In contrast, Muawiya seems unconvinced that the Battle of Uhud was a victory, considering it the result of an individual mistake, not a trick, and expresses his frustration at their inability to recover his sister Ramla.

Events develop quickly in the series with Muawiya deeply influenced by Islam and the prophetic message, until the episode ends with a pivotal moment, as he declares his conversion to Islam at the beginning of the conquest of Mecca, in a scene that changes the course of his life completely.

How much did the Ramadan 2025 Muawiya series cost?

The series revolves around the character of the Umayyad Caliph Muawiya ibn Abu Sufyan, the period of great strife in Arab-Islamic history, and the conflicts over assuming the caliphate after the killing of Caliph Uthman bin Affan.

The series was postponed for two years after being filmed in 2023, in the “Carthago Film” studios, in the city of Hammamet in Tunisia, in addition to filming some scenes in northern and southern Tunisia, in cities such as Mahdia, Monastir, and Enfidha. Some reports indicated that its cost exceeded $100 million.