Home » Hanafi Fiqh » Askimam.org » Is it permissible to play games such as FIFA, Fortnite, GTA etc?

Is it permissible to play games such as FIFA, Fortnite, GTA etc?

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Askimam.org

Salaam.

Is it permissible to play games such as FIFA, fortnite, GTA etc. These games include character creation. Would this come under impermissible image creation? Another thing is that in these games, characters are already created. Can I play with them?  

 

Secondly, is using nike products halaal? E.g. if I were to play football with a Nike ball. If so, proof of halaal? (As nike was a fake greek goddess)

 

Thanks, Salaam.

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

1.     According to many researchers and psychologists, videogames are detrimental to a child’s health. Hereunder are some of the harms of videogames:[1]

  • Children may become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others.
  • Children who watch violence neither fear violence nor are they bothered by violence in general.
  • Children are more likely to become aggressive or resort to harmful actions towards others.
  • Increases their appetite for more violence in entertainment and in real life. Videogame violence could be damaging to the children because they cannot tell the difference between real life and fiction.
  • Videogames may contain subliminal messaging.  

It is clear and evident from the points mentioned above that the dilemma does not lie simply in the principle matter of animation/photography but in the harms affiliated to it as well. It is a basic principle in Islam to maintain distance from anything that may reciprocate harm. Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) mentioned:[2]

لَا ضَرَرَ وَلَا ضِرَارَ

Translation: “There should be neither harming nor reciprocating harm.” 

The above are harms understood even by the non-Muslims. Videogames contain many other aspects which clash against Islamic values. Consider the following:

  • Music
  • Spending of ludicrous amounts of time. Recent games such as Fortnite have children spending about 6 to 7 hours at a time.
  • Subliminal messages making the intermingling with the opposite gender seem normal
  • Justification to the exposure of the Satr
  • Instilling immorality within one’s self
  • Inculcating the traits and qualities of the Kuffaar
  • Offensive language
  • Alcohol and drugs
  • Disrespect to parents, teachers and elders.
  • Vulgarity

The harms of videogames are evident from the above.[3] Accordingly, one should abstain from videogames as much as possible.

1.     Nike, Inc. was founded on January 25, 1964 under the name Blue Ribbon Sports, and officially became Nike, Inc. on May 30, 1971. The company never intended to incorporate Greek mythology.[4] The name ‘Nike’ was thought up by an employee wishing to come up with an exotic name.

Moreover, the word Nike does not hold any religious significance today. Rather, it is seen as a global sportswear brand. People often go after the product due to its superior quality. 

There are many other examples of commonly used words which originated from Roman and Greek mythology. Take the names of the calendar months for example. They originate from deities of the past. However, none of them retain their original implications in the customary understanding of people and are therefore permissible to use. Similar will be the case with using Nike products.

 

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Bilal Yusuf Pandor

Student Darul Iftaa

Lusaka, Zambia

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

 


[1] http://www.raisesmartkid.com/all-ages/1-articles/13-the-good-and-bad-effects-of-tv-on-your-kid

 

http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-6-128111-Effects-of-cartoons-on-children%E2%80%99s-psychology-&-behaviour-patterns

 

سنن ابن ماجه، ج٢، ص٧٨٤ [2]

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ قَالَ: أَنْبَأَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ الْجُعْفِيِّ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: لَا ضَرَرَ وَلَا ضِرَارَ

 

 

البحر الرائق، ج٧ ،ص٨٨، [3]

فى المعراج: الملاهي نوعان: محرم وهو الآلات المطربة من غير غناء كالمزمار سواء كان من عود أو قصب كالشبابة أو غيره كالعود والطنبور…والنوع الثاني مباح وهو الدف فى النكاح وفي معناه ما كان من حادث وسرور ويكره في غيره…وهو مكروه للرجال على كل حال…ونقل البزازي فى المناقب الإجماع على حرمة الغناء إذا كان على آلة كالعود وأما إذا كان بغيرها فقد علمت الاختلاف

 

رد المحتار، ج٦، ص٣٤٨،

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

 

احكام القرآن، ج٣، ص٢٠١،

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

 

[4] http://help-us.nikeinc.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/497/~/nike-and-the-swoosh

 

 

This answer was collected from Askimam.org, which is operated under the supervision of Mufti Ebrahim Desai from South Africa.

Read answers with similar topics: