Ruling on Watching Football Matches
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
Football matches are frequent these days and are broadcast on television. What is the ruling on watching them if there is no fanaticism, no imitating the disbelievers, and it is only for relaxation?
Answer:
What appears to us regarding playing football is that it distracts from good deeds and distracts from the congregational prayers. It should be abandoned. Even if it were kept in check, played only for short periods, with the private parts covered and protected, and the prayers established, the matter would be easier. But given what we see of people’s preoccupation with it, the fitnah (trial) it causes, and the loss of prayers by both the viewers and the players, we believe that this act is forbidden (haram) and an evil (munkar), and it is not permissible to do it ever, not in this country nor in any other Muslim country. This is because their actions have led to great evil: they have occupied people on the radio, occupied them on television, occupied their time, and caused them to neglect the prayers. Many of them wear clothing that exposes their private parts, exposing their thighs, and they fitnah (tempt) people with it. All of this is among the evils for which there is no justification.
The result is that the football played by people today has great evil and no good. Even if there is some good in it, it is very little in terms of physical activity and the need for strength. This little good is drowned out by the much greater evil.
So what we believe today is that playing it is forbidden (haram) and an evil (munkar), unless its practitioners commit to covering themselves, preserving the times, and establishing the prayers at their proper times, and the playing is restricted to a specific, limited time that does not extend to the point where the prayers are neglected, whether by the viewers, the players, or both. This is the reality, and we ask Allah for safety.
Question : O Shaykh, are they naked to a severe degree?
Answer: May Allah guide them, may Allah turn them back to the right path.
Question : Do you write to them, O Shaykh, or what?
Answer: Allah is the One to be sought for help. How much has been written, and how much has been written. Allah is the One to be sought for help. Do not think that the matter is like this. The means have been exerted in it, but we ask Allah for guidance for us and for them.
Football matches are frequent these days and are broadcast on television. What is the ruling on watching them if there is no fanaticism, no imitating the disbelievers, and it is only for relaxation?
Answer:
What appears to us regarding playing football is that it distracts from good deeds and distracts from the congregational prayers. It should be abandoned. Even if it were kept in check, played only for short periods, with the private parts covered and protected, and the prayers established, the matter would be easier. But given what we see of people’s preoccupation with it, the fitnah (trial) it causes, and the loss of prayers by both the viewers and the players, we believe that this act is forbidden (haram) and an evil (munkar), and it is not permissible to do it ever, not in this country nor in any other Muslim country. This is because their actions have led to great evil: they have occupied people on the radio, occupied them on television, occupied their time, and caused them to neglect the prayers. Many of them wear clothing that exposes their private parts, exposing their thighs, and they fitnah (tempt) people with it. All of this is among the evils for which there is no justification.
The result is that the football played by people today has great evil and no good. Even if there is some good in it, it is very little in terms of physical activity and the need for strength. This little good is drowned out by the much greater evil.
So what we believe today is that playing it is forbidden (haram) and an evil (munkar), unless its practitioners commit to covering themselves, preserving the times, and establishing the prayers at their proper times, and the playing is restricted to a specific, limited time that does not extend to the point where the prayers are neglected, whether by the viewers, the players, or both. This is the reality, and we ask Allah for safety.
Question : O Shaykh, are they naked to a severe degree?
Answer: May Allah guide them, may Allah turn them back to the right path.
Question : Do you write to them, O Shaykh, or what?
Answer: Allah is the One to be sought for help. How much has been written, and how much has been written. Allah is the One to be sought for help. Do not think that the matter is like this. The means have been exerted in it, but we ask Allah for guidance for us and for them.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.