Is it haram to read dark romance books?

Dark romance is a genre of fiction that usually portrays intense romantic relationships with darker themes such as rape and abuse fantasies. It is often filled with explicit sexual scenes. These contents do not arouse me or give me bad thoughts; I simply enjoy the stories and characters. Is it haram?

Dear Brother / Sister,

A novel may be written either to provoke negative feelings and thoughts or to convey lessons and wisdom. If it is of the latter type, and it does not prevent one from more necessary or beneficial duties, then the secondary elements you mentioned do not make it haram to read.

What a Muslim engages in should either be permissible (ḥalāl), beneficial, or at the very least not lead to something forbidden.

A Muslim’s time is, in one way or another, connected to worship. Even sleeping with the intention of fulfilling one’s duties of servitude is considered an act of worship.

However, reading content that includes explicit sexual scenes, zina, rape, or immoral relationships and normalizes them is not regarded as permissible, or at the very least is considered disliked and close to the forbidden (makrūh taḥrīman).

This is because such content may:

• Stimulate and depict unlawful scenes in one’s imagination
• Corrupt the heart and mind
• Arouse desires or open the door to sin

If a novel contains lessons, wisdom, moral values, or benefit, it may be read. But if its purpose is to arouse desire or portray immorality, it is more appropriate for a Muslim to avoid it.

The Qur’an describes the believers as:

“They turn away from vain and useless things.” (See: al-Muʾminūn, 23:3)

Therefore, for a Muslim, the best path is to prefer content that keeps the heart and mind pure and is beneficial.

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