As Salaamu Alaykum. This question is in reference to purchasing keys for crates in CS:GO and using third party sites to open cases. With these keys to open game crates and the cases, you are given a random gun with a random design (called skins) or a knife. For simplicity, I have referred to them only as ‘skins’. Essentially, it’s like being given a virtual car with a random paint job. Purpose of Skins These skins are used in game to make your guns look nicer. Some people however do other things with them. E.g. Some people trade their skins for other skins or a number of skins. Alternatively, you can officially sell the skin to someone for Steam funds – however this money CANNOT be transferred into real life currency. It is Steam credit only. Some people do trade skins for expensive games (bought on sales) – another way to trade. You can also technically and unofficially, buy a skin off someone with real life currency E.g. If you know them personally and give them money, they might give you the skin for ‘free’; though this is not approved by Steam and is NOT what I intend to do!! In CS:GO, these skins vary in virtual value. So essentially you are paying £2 and are opening a crate in which you can get any skin. The skin has a (virtual) value (with virtual currency) on the marketplace which varies in value (based on how popular it is at a particular point). The value can be more or less than £2. Because of this, some call it gambling. However, in my opinion, this seems like an awfully trivial thing to call gambling (from the Islamic perspective) and there is no actual monetary risk in it, unless you were to go insane with key-purchasing (in which case, you’d be wasting money – not a financial ‘risk’ – just carelessness) – which is the case with anything! I want to know whether this is haram. I feel like this is just like investing since u have a rough idea of what you’re going to get as in the case of the third party cases, you know that there is a 10% chance you will get a good gun. This is the nature of all business, really. There is always a risk that the product is not of the same value that you paid. If it’s not directly haraam can you specify how it can be for example from excessively opening cases?
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
Your query is about Counter-Strike Global Offensive (CS GO) game in which skin gambling takes place by purchasing a key for a crate of dropped items.
The issue of skin gambling is secondary.
The main issue of consideration is the Shariah position of CS GO game.
The game pits two teams against each other, the Terrorists and the Counter-Terrorists. Both sides are tasked with eliminating the other while also completing separate objectives, the terrorists, depending on the game mode, must either plant the bomb or defend the hostages, while the Counter-Terrorists must either prevent the bomb from being planted or rescue the hostages. [i]
The game like other games is actually a propaganda to portray a bad image of Islam and generalise Muslims as terrorists. [ii]
The game refers to terrorists saying Allah-Akbar. It refers to a masjid with a dua outside the masjid implying terrorist got the masjid. (Counter Strike- Dust 2) [iii]
Counter Strike- Dust 2
It is a well-known fact that video games are addictive and have an effect on ones thinking and conduct in real life.
A person addicted to such a game will eventually lose respect for Muslims and especially for those that are engaged in the truthful defence of Islam. He would begin thinking of every Muslim to be a terrorist. The game has a potential to inculcate hatred and violence against Muslims. [iv]
It is not permissible to play CS GO game.
That is apart from the fact that the procedure of purchasing a key to open a crate to choose a skin is clearly gambling. The person does not know what he will get.
Therefore, the game is a composition of a haram act with a haram act.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Muhammad I.V Patel
Student Darul Iftaa
Lusaka, Zambia
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
[i] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counter-Strike:_Global_Offensive
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skin_gambling
https://www.reddit.com/r/GlobalOffensive/comments/300fq4/an_introduction_to_csgo_skins_for_absolute/
https://dotesports.com/counter-strike/addict-desert-rehab-14761
https://steamcommunity.com/app/730/discussions/0/558754260133755651/
[ii] http://www.trtworld.com/life/turkeys-counter-strike-against-islamophobia-in-video-games-225921
Popular video games such as Call of Duty and Counter-Strike, released globally, have regularly portrayed Muslim characters as villains.
Use of Arabic words, Islamic phrases likes ‘Allah o Akbar’ and cities in Muslim countries are associated with the ‘bad guys’.
[iii] ISLAMIC Text Found in Dust 2 Which is insulting:
https://steamcommunity.com/app/730/discussions/0/523897653312307181/
https://www.sportskeeda.com/gaming/islamic-community-enraged-with-scriptures-in-iconic-map-dust-2
I have seen ISLAMIC text written on different walls in dust 2 which Muslims recite before entering Mosque. It is very insulting for me being Muslim that it is written on walls where killing is going, people can shoot at that text & scratch it etc.
Translation: Arabic: “Allahummaftah li abwaba rahmatik.” English: (O Allah! Open the doors of Your Mercy for me)
I’m sure it was not done intentionally by developers so Please remove it as soon as possible. Following are the links of that text.
http://i62.tinypic.com/2heavtj.jpg
http://tinypic.com/r/97pr9x/8
http://i61.tinypic.com/iml17q.jpg
http://tinypic.com/r/14bm2jm/8
إن اللهو علي أنواع: لهو مجرد، ولهو فيه نفع وفائدة ولكن ورد الشرع بالنهي عنه ، ولهو فيه فائدة ولم يرد في الشرع نهي صريح عنه ، ولكنه ثبت بالتجربة أنه يكون ضرره أعظم من نفعه ملتحق بالمنهي عنه ، ولهو فيه فائدة ولم يرد الشرع بتحريمه ولم يغلب علي نفعه ضرره ولكن يشتغل فيه بقصد التلهي ، ولهو فيه فائدة مقصودة ولم يرد الشرع بتحريمه وليس فيه مفسدة دينية واشتغل به علي غرض صحيح لتحصيل الفائدة المطلوبة لا بقصد التلهي . فهذه خمسة أنواع لا جائز فيها إلا الأخير الخامس
الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار) (6/ 348)
فاللعب وهو اللهو حرام بالنص قال – عليه الصلاة والسلام – «لهو المؤمن باطل إلا في ثلاث: تأديبه فرسه» وفي رواية «ملاعبته بفرسه ورميه عن قوسه وملاعبته مع أهله»
سنن الترمذي ت بشار (4/ 136)
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ نَصْرٍ النَّيْسَابُورِيُّ، وَغَيْرُ وَاحِدٍ، قَالُوا: حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُسْهِرٍ، عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ سَمَاعَةَ، عَنِ الأَوْزَاعِيِّ، عَنْ قُرَّةَ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: مِنْ حُسْنِ إِسْلاَمِ الْمَرْءِ تَرْكُهُ مَا لاَ يَعْنِيهِ.
الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار) (6/ 403)
(قوله لأنه يصير قمارا) لأن القمار من القمر الذي يزداد تارة وينقص أخرى، وسمي القمار قمارا لأن كل واحد من المقامرين ممن يجوز أن يذهب ماله إلى صاحبه، ويجوز أن يستفيد مال صاحبه وهو حرام بالنص، ولا كذلك إذا شرط من جانب واحد لأن الزيادة والنقصان لا تمكن فيهما بل في أحدهما تمكن الزيادة، وفي الآخر الانتقاص فقط فلا تكون مقامرة لأنها مفاعلة منه زيلعي