The Ruling on Summer Camps and the Memorization of Texts and Anthems in Them

Question:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. And may prayers and peace be upon the noblest of the prophets and messengers, our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. May Allah bless you, Your Eminence the Shaykh, and benefit us with your knowledge, and may Allah reward you with the best reward for us and for the Muslims. He says: Your Eminence the Shaykh, what is the ruling on forums and summer camps where there is memorization of texts and anthems, and playing football? Beneficial knowledge.

Answer:
As for Sufi centers and others, they contain both beneficial and non-beneficial matters; not all of it is so. It is not all defective, nor is it all sound. It has both. So one takes the truth and the beneficial, and leaves what is other than that; one leaves what is other than that. Memorizing the Qur'an and memorizing texts is a good thing. As for other than that, such as plays and anthems, there is no benefit in them and no utility in them, so they are left.