The Ruling on Watching Sports Matches and Their Harms
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Many of our brothers, may Allah guide them, watch sports matches via television and say: “There is nothing wrong with this,” despite the fact that the matches involve exposing the private parts, especially the matches that take place outside the Kingdom. Women are present in the stands, and unfortunately, some of them may be committed to their religion. They argue that they follow them for the sake of watching, not for cheering and excitement?
The reality is that what you referred to is a trial that some people have been afflicted with, and they have come to love it as a strong hobby—I mean: watching sports matches—to the extent that some of them may abandon the congregational prayer for this reason. There is no doubt that if one abandons the congregation for this reason, he is sinful and disobedient; because the congregation is obligatory. But if we assume that he has already prayed 'Isha' and then sat down, we say that your sitting, if you are free from sin; it is idle talk, but I do not think he is free from sin for several reasons: First: he wastes his time in something of no benefit, and time is more precious than money, and more valuable than money for the sensible person,For this reason, Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Mu'minun: 99-100] ,He never said: “Perhaps I will watch the matches or enjoy myself in this world.” He said: [Al-Mu'minun: 100] This indicates his regret over what he wasted in other than the obedience of Allah the Exalted and Majestic.
Second: It causes the heart to become attached to it, but if he weaned himself from it, it would not concern him, as is known among people who do not watch them; they do not care about them. In fact, if they were watching the news and then these matches came on, they would turn off the television. But if he starts watching them, his heart becomes attached to them and accustomed to them, and his love for them becomes an obsession.
Third: It is possible that in these matches, a disbeliever or an open sinner may prevail, and then he will feel a sense of exalting him, loving him, and being loyal to him in his heart, and this is dangerous.
Fourth: He will waste money by what he spends on this television in terms of electricity bills, as well as the lights in the place where he is, so it may consume a lot of money. Therefore, we see that watching these matches contains some foolishness and some danger for the person. So what you should do, O the decisive one, is not to watch these matches.
The reality is that what you referred to is a trial that some people have been afflicted with, and they have come to love it as a strong hobby—I mean: watching sports matches—to the extent that some of them may abandon the congregational prayer for this reason. There is no doubt that if one abandons the congregation for this reason, he is sinful and disobedient; because the congregation is obligatory. But if we assume that he has already prayed 'Isha' and then sat down, we say that your sitting, if you are free from sin; it is idle talk, but I do not think he is free from sin for several reasons: First: he wastes his time in something of no benefit, and time is more precious than money, and more valuable than money for the sensible person,For this reason, Allah the Exalted said:
until, when death comes to one of them, he says, "My Lord, send me back (100) That I might do righteousness in that which I left behind."
حَتَّى إِذَا جَاءَ أَحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ قَالَ رَبِّ ارْجِعُونِ * لَعَلِّي أَعْمَلُ صَالِحاً فِيمَا تَرَكْتُThat I might do righteousness in that which I left behind
لَعَلِّي أَعْمَلُ صَالِحاً فِيمَا تَرَكْتُSecond: It causes the heart to become attached to it, but if he weaned himself from it, it would not concern him, as is known among people who do not watch them; they do not care about them. In fact, if they were watching the news and then these matches came on, they would turn off the television. But if he starts watching them, his heart becomes attached to them and accustomed to them, and his love for them becomes an obsession.
Third: It is possible that in these matches, a disbeliever or an open sinner may prevail, and then he will feel a sense of exalting him, loving him, and being loyal to him in his heart, and this is dangerous.
Fourth: He will waste money by what he spends on this television in terms of electricity bills, as well as the lights in the place where he is, so it may consume a lot of money. Therefore, we see that watching these matches contains some foolishness and some danger for the person. So what you should do, O the decisive one, is not to watch these matches.