Guidelines for permitting the game of football.

Mashhur: ... it entered the community because of it. But my specific question is about football, regarding the codification and these considerations, which are known to those who play this game. Is the one who plays it and adheres to these codifications and considerations, such as the goal and what precedes the goal, and the refereeing laws, is this imitating the disbelievers?

The Shaykh : No, first of all, these are purely ordinary matters, and secondly, they are modern means to strengthen the bodies of the players or competitors. But the truth is, if we want to accommodate Muslim people who engage in this game, they need to establish Shari'ah restrictions that distinguish their play from the teams of disbelievers or the teams of open sinners.
Mashhur: How is this distinction achieved, O Shaykh? The youth in the mosques now, every Friday, I mean, many of the mosque youth, after the Fajr prayer, they go and play. Some of them who are distinguished by scrupulousness ask such questions, like the one you mentioned. So, may Allah reward you with good, elaborate on how the distinction is to be made?

The Shaykh : First, among the conditions that, I mean, the first thing that presents itself or is imposed is that it must not distract the player from performing any of the obligations of Allah or the duties He has prescribed for him. Let us suppose, for example, that these players, as is the reality, most of them in their attire, their attire is the attire of the disbelievers, where they wear shorts that reach to the middle of their thighs. It should be that their clothing covers the thigh, at the very least. Second, that their games and matches against the other teams, even if it is assumed that they were non-Muslim teams from among the teams they call, at the very least, citizens, and the correct term if there were truly Muslims would be to call them dhimmis (protected non-Muslims), they must impose their system on these disbelievers if they wish to compete with the Muslims. From that, for example, that the match does not take up their time from the times of the five prayers, such as the time of 'Asr, so that the match starts before 'Asr and ends with Maghrib, or starts before Maghrib and causes them to miss the Maghrib or 'Isha' prayer, or something similar. Also, it is obligatory for these people, whom you gave as an example, that when they go out in the morning to train on Friday, that they do not miss, for example, what is obligatory on Friday, at the very least, such as the Friday bath. And naturally, that it does not distract them from the prayer on Friday. Then, that they be raised to avoid boasting and bragging if a Muslim team defeats another team like it, because this boasting is not something that helps them in success from the Shari'ah perspective, because in reality, as is known by observation, many matches end with the defeat of a stronger team by a weaker team, usually, because the prevailing divine decree intervenes. Look now, this air, it has a role... very much in helping to make the shot or to spoil it. So it is not appropriate for the one who succeeded to prepare or to boast and act as is their custom, that it was by his strength.
Mashhur: They ride on top of each other!

The Shaykh : Or they ride on top of each other, Glory be to Allah. So the point is, these people who want to train in this training, in reality, they must be raised with a very high moral education. This occasion reminds me of the race that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) once held between the camels, and this is a custom that still exists in some Arab countries, in the Emirates and elsewhere. So the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) entered the race with his she-camel al-Uzayya, and a Bedouin man entered with his she-camel, perhaps we can call it al-Jarbayya, and lo, it outpaced al-Uzayya. So disappointment appeared in the eyes and faces of the Companions of the Messenger (peace be upon him). So the Messenger calmed them by saying ... So the point is, these people must be directed morally before they are trained physically. If they are trained physically, I see no harm in their training in any type of the types known today, with the conditions I mentioned earlier. And I do not consider this type of games to be imitating the disbelievers, especially if they enter the field and everyone who sees them, even the disbelievers, says, "These are Muslims, or perhaps they are fundamentalists."
Mashhur: Do these games, for example, not cause the loss of the Muhammadan equestrian games, such as wrestling and foot racing, and the like?

The Shaykh : Yes, but this is not sufficient in this time. For example, do you have the type they call the Japanese dominance, what is its name, karate? This does not work. The old known wrestling, because these are new means, I mean, by which the weak defeats the strong by the art he learned. But I say that engaging in the means you referred to, Muslims must retain them, but there is no harm in adding to them these modern means.
Mashhur: May Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh : And to you.

The questioner : These matches are sponsored by states, and these teams are subject to the policies of the states before the play begins. The national anthem is played and they stand in salute to it, in reverence.

The Shaykh : Its answer has already been given.

The questioner : And when the medals are distributed, they bow like this, and gold medals are placed around their necks.

The Shaykh : You are detailing what we have prohibited.