What is the ruling on watching or playing football?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Regarding the spread of this game called football among the people, what is the ruling on the one who watches this match, let alone the one who plays it?
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : What is the ruling on watching this match, let alone playing in it?
The Shaykh : Whether it is playing or watching, if all of that does not lead to violating the Shari'ah in any of its aspects, then it is permissible. This is because this game is not blameworthy in itself, like all games; rather, it is only blameworthy if it distracts from the obedience of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). In that case, all forms of amusement are equal in their prohibition, because this is one of the principles. If two people sit and read from a fiqh book, but they become so engrossed in this reading—which is fiqh reading—that they miss the prayer at its time, there is no doubt that this reading becomes forbidden for them, even though it is recommended because it is in the path of seeking knowledge. So what can be said if it distracts, or if the distraction is not of this magnitude, but its best state is that it is permissible? If we assume that those who play football are a truly Muslim team, meaning: they play with the ball to strengthen their bodies and not to waste some of the rulings of their religion, and what indicates this is that they do not start playing until after performing the obligatory prayer. They do not start playing, for example, before the 'Asr prayer; rather, they pray 'Asr and then begin, and they do not continue playing to the point where the Maghrib prayer catches up with them and they miss it until the 'Isha' prayer arrives. These are examples. Also, what they wear is the short garment called in modern language today "shorts," and in classical Arabic "turban" (tubban). The tubban is a trouser that has no pockets, so it serves the function of the shorts known today. They only wear clothing that covers their 'awrah up to the knee. If playing with the ball is of this nature in terms of preserving the Islamic rulings and the times of worship, then I do not see any blame or sin in it, because the only amusement that is forbidden is that which may lead to violating the Shari'ah. It is correct to say, may peace and blessings be upon him: Some people err in narrating the hadith with the wording: Narrating the hadith with this wording is forbidden, forbidden, because there is no basis for it with the wording "forbidden." Rather, the correct wording is "invalid," meaning "vain." If you find other games that are not like a man playing with his horse today, for example, in many wars there are no horses, but machines, cars, tanks, and the like have taken their place. If he trains on them, it is like training on a horse, riding it, and pursuing on it, and the like. So, whatever amusement exists, whatever is new, and whatever will appear, must be looked at through this lens. Whatever distracts from the remembrance of Allah is forbidden amusement. Whatever does not distract from the remembrance of Allah is permissible. Whatever leads to strengthening the body of the Muslim in preparation for jihad in the path of Allah is recommended. This is the answer.
The questioner : May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : And you.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : What is the ruling on watching this match, let alone playing in it?
The Shaykh : Whether it is playing or watching, if all of that does not lead to violating the Shari'ah in any of its aspects, then it is permissible. This is because this game is not blameworthy in itself, like all games; rather, it is only blameworthy if it distracts from the obedience of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). In that case, all forms of amusement are equal in their prohibition, because this is one of the principles. If two people sit and read from a fiqh book, but they become so engrossed in this reading—which is fiqh reading—that they miss the prayer at its time, there is no doubt that this reading becomes forbidden for them, even though it is recommended because it is in the path of seeking knowledge. So what can be said if it distracts, or if the distraction is not of this magnitude, but its best state is that it is permissible? If we assume that those who play football are a truly Muslim team, meaning: they play with the ball to strengthen their bodies and not to waste some of the rulings of their religion, and what indicates this is that they do not start playing until after performing the obligatory prayer. They do not start playing, for example, before the 'Asr prayer; rather, they pray 'Asr and then begin, and they do not continue playing to the point where the Maghrib prayer catches up with them and they miss it until the 'Isha' prayer arrives. These are examples. Also, what they wear is the short garment called in modern language today "shorts," and in classical Arabic "turban" (tubban). The tubban is a trouser that has no pockets, so it serves the function of the shorts known today. They only wear clothing that covers their 'awrah up to the knee. If playing with the ball is of this nature in terms of preserving the Islamic rulings and the times of worship, then I do not see any blame or sin in it, because the only amusement that is forbidden is that which may lead to violating the Shari'ah. It is correct to say, may peace and blessings be upon him:
All amusement with which a son of Adam amuses himself is invalid; except his play with his wife, his play with his horse, and his shooting with his bow.
كلُّ لهوٍ يلهو به ابن آدم فهو باطل ؛ إلا مداعبته لزوجته ، ومداعبته لفرسه ، ورميه بقوسهAll amusement with which a son of Adam amuses himself is forbidden.
كلُّ لهوٍ يلهو به ابن آدم حرامThe questioner : May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : And you.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.