Spending the holy month of Ramadan scrolling on your phone, and watching new TV dramas is the new norm for some Muslims worldwide. Factors like having more time on your hands mean you should read the Quran and worship Allah. Streaming services in Muslim predominant countries slow down the release of TV shows and entertainment overall during the holy month.
Ramadan is a 30-day holiday in which Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. During this month, the deeds from reading the Holy Quran are multiplied tenfold. It is a huge opportunity to get back on track with your religion. Non-mandatory prayers are highly recommended as you can get many deeds. Muslims also give more charity and purify their soul, avoiding things like gossip, anger and talking bad about other people. They take the time to really grow themselves spiritually. It is also a time for community and family, spending time with people you enjoy.
During Ramadan last year, the Middle Eastern Broadcasting Channel (MBC) saw a surge in revenue from Shahid VIP, an online streaming service owned by MBC Group. Shahid VIP’s revenue grew 72% to 298 million Saudi Riyal (79 million USD). This spike in revenue during this holy month stimulates more production and releases of Ramadan-special entertainment such as TV shows, movies and more. Viewership of MBC and Shahid VIP increased by 80% in the Arab world in just one month, with over 14 million viewers.
Multiple channels releasing multiple series targeted for the holy month of Ramadan takes away greatly from its meaning. During Ramadan, time is really valued and sacred. Releasing TV shows during the month to distract people from active worship of Allah robs people of their time that was supposed to be dedicated to worshipping Allah. This causes people to not earn as many deeds as they could have earned because of the addictive effects of entertainment. Deeds are really important in Islam, as they are balanced with sins on a scale that decides your entrance to either heaven or hellfire.
It shouldn’t be the norm that TV shows and movies get released specifically for Ramadan. Ramadan is such an important time for Muslims worldwide, and spending it watching TV shows is not the most productive way to spend it.