Assalamualaikum Warahmatullah Wabarakatu
Dear respected scholar,
My brother is a video games addict and plays roughly 8-14 hours per day. At times, he stays up all night playing video games. When we tell him that what he is doing is both detrimental to his health and is haram, he claims that it is not haram because he has this imagination that he will become a famous video game player and make money off of it by streaming on youtube or other streaming websites. However, we tell him that the money he makes will also not be halal since that money will be made from wasting other people’s time. However, whatever we tell him, he keeps asking for proof from Quran and Hadith so if you can provide some for me, I would greatly appreciate it.
One other thing is that my other brothers also play video games but they only play 6 hours in the whole week just to have fun or play with friends. Is it also haram for them to play as well?
Jazakallaho Khairaa
Answer:
Brother in Islam,
We appreciate your query and take note of the concern you have for your brother.
There are different types of video games.
- Games containing Haraam elements, like music, vulgar language and animated pictures, and does not benefit an individual in any way. (Fifa, Grand Theft Auto etc)
- Games that do not contain haram elements and do not benefit an individual in any way. (simple racing games, Tetris etc)
- Games that do not contain Haraam elements and has the potential of benefiting an individual. (mind games such as crosswords, soduku etc)
A. Video games containing vulgar language, music and pictures of animate objects are completely haram. Music is haram, vulgar language is haram and pictures of animate objects are haram.[i]
Reflect on the following Ahadeeth and Quraanic verses expounding on games containing haram elements.
With regards to music: Allah Ta’ala says:
{وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَشْتَرِي لَهْوَ الْحَدِيثِ لِيُضِلَّ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ وَيَتَّخِذَهَا هُزُوًا أُولَئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُهِينٌ} [لقمان: 6]
Translation: There are some people who purchases futile (useless) discourse (pastimes that distract people from thinking of Allah Ta’ala) to deviate others from Allah Ta’ala’s path (Islam) without knowledge and they mock it (Islam, so that every regard for Islam may disappear from people’s hearts). There shall be a humiliating punishment for these people.
▪ The word لهوالحديث means music as explained by Saaiduna Abdullah Ibn Abbas Radhiallahu and by Saaiduna Abdullah Ibn Masud Radhiallahu[ii]
عِمْرَانَ بْنِ حُصَيْنٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ فِي هَذِهِ الأُمَّةِ خَسْفٌ وَمَسْخٌ وَقَذْفٌ فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَمَتَى ذَاكَ قَالَ إِذَا ظَهَرَتِ الْقَيْنَات وَالْمَعَازِفُ وَشُرِبَتِ الْخُمُورُ ( Jami-at- Tirmidhi 2212)
Translation: Imran bin Husain narrated that the Messenger of Allah Ta’ala said: In this Ummah there shall be collapsing of the earth, transformation and Qadhf. A man among the Muslims said: O Messenger of Allah Ta’ala. When is that? He said: “When singing slave-girls, music, and drinking intoxicants spread.”
With regards to Vulgar language: Allah Ta’ala says:
{فَاجْتَنِبُوا الرِّجْسَ مِنَ الْأَوْثَانِ وَاجْتَنِبُوا قَوْلَ الزُّورِ} [الحج: 30]
Translation: So abstain (totally) from the impurity of idols and abstain from false talk.
قَالَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَنْ لَمْ يَدَعْ قَوْلَ اَلزُّورِ وَالْعَمَلَ بِهِ وَالْجَهْلَ فَلَيْسَ لِلَّهِ حَاجَةٌ فِي أَنْ َيدَعَ طَعامَهُ وَشَرَابَه (684صحيح بخاري)
Translation: The Messenger of Allah Ta’ala said: Whoever does not give up forged speech and evil actions and does not abandon foolishness, Allah is not in need of his leaving food and drink (i.e. Allah will not accept his fasting).
With regards to Animate pictures: Allah Ta’ala says:
{وَاتَّخَذَ قَوْمُ مُوسَى مِنْ بَعْدِهِ مِنْ حُلِيِّهِمْ عِجْلًا جَسَدًا لَهُ خُوَارٌ أَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّهُ لَا يُكَلِّمُهُمْ وَلَا يَهْدِيهِمْ سَبِيلًا اتَّخَذُوهُ وَكَانُوا ظَالِمِينَ} [الأعراف: 148]
Translation: After him, the people of Moosa (Alahis Salam) made from their jewelry a calf (crafted by Samiri) that was (merely) a body (torso) which made sounds. Could they not see that it could not speak to them, nor guide them aright? They took it to be their illah and did (themselves) a great wrong
(5348 Sunnan Nasaai) عَنْ أَبِي طَلْحَةَ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ لاَ تَدْخُلُ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ بَيْتًا فِيهِ كَلْبٌ وَلاَ صُورَةُ تَمَاثِيلَ
Translation: It was narrated that Abu Talhah said: I heard the Messenger of Allah Ta’ala say: The angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog or an image of an animate being.
▪ Apart from spiritual harm, such games may have psychological and social implications.[iii]
B. As for the second category…… it is permissible to play such games with the following conditions:
▪ It should not cause one to be unmindful of one’s duties to Allah Ta’ala.
▪ One should not be addicted, whereby most of his time is spent behind such games.
▪ It should not be played with the intention of becoming someone famous.
▪ One should play simply to freshen the mind and take a break from worldly responsibilities.
C. As for the third category: If these games are played with the intention of sharpening one’s mind, then it is permissible without any karaahah provided moderation is upheld.
عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ نِعْمَتَانِ مَغْبُونٌ فِيهِمَا كَثِيرٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ، الصِّحَّةُ وَالْفَرَاغُ ”. (Sahih al-Bukhari Book 81, Hadith 1)
Translation: Narrated by Ibn Abbas (Radhiyallahu Anhu): The Prophet (Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said, “There are two blessings which many people lose: They are Health and free time for doing good.”
And Allah Ta’ala Knows best
M. Akhtar
Student Darul Iftaa
Phoenix, KZN South Africa
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار) (6/ 348) [سعيد][i]
فَاللَّعِبُ وَهُوَ اللَّهْوُ حَرَامٌ بِالنَّصِّ قَالَ – عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ – «لَهْوُ الْمُؤْمِنِ بَاطِلٌ إلَّا فِي ثَلَاثٍ: تَأْدِيبُهُ فَرَسَهُ» وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ «مُلَاعَبَتُهُ بِفَرَسِهِ وَرَمْيُهُ عَنْ قَوْسِهِ وَمُلَاعَبَتُهُ مَعَ أَهْلِهِ» كِفَايَةٌ وَكَذَا قَوْلُ الْإِمَامِ اُبْتُلِيت دَلِيلٌ عَلَى أَنَّهُ حَرَامٌ
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
Sunnan baihaqi (P223 V1), Sunnan Baihaqi (P221 V1)[ii]
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4649035/ [iii]
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/get-psyched/201401/violent-video-games-decrease-self-control