Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Ibroheem said: playing football nowadays is accompanied by reprehensible things which mean that playing it should be disallowed. These things may be summed up as follows:
1. It is proven to us that play continues during the times of prayer, which results in the players and spectators missing prayers or prayers in congregation , or they delay performing prayers until the time for them is over.
2. The nature if this game leads to factionalism, starring up fitnah and hatred. These results are the opposite of what Islam promotes of tolerance, friendship and brotherhood, and cleaning hearts and soul of hatred, resentment and grudges.
3. The game involves physical danger or the players as aresult of collision and injuries. Usually the players do not end the game without some of them falling on the pitch unconscious or with broken arms or legs. As for playing football just to strengthen the body and give it energy, or to treat some diseases without falling into any of these haram [forbidden] things , this is something permissible .
4. The purpose behind allowing sports is to make people physically active and to train them for fighting and to ward off chronic disease. But plating football nowadays has no such aim. As well as the thing mentioned above , it is now also taking people's money for false purposes ,let alone the danger of physical injury and the generation of hatred in the heart of players and spectators , and the starring up of fitnah. It has even gone so far that some spectators attack some players , which could go as far as murder. This alone is sufficient reason to disallow it. And Allaah is the source of strength. Fataawa Muhammad Ibn Ibraheem.
Impermissible games: Although Islam permits us to do sports especially however it should be known that some of the games that are not permissible at all, irrespective of what we think of them. They are the following;:-
1. Playing with dice [Backgammon, ludo, snakes and ladder, monopoly etc.] All of these and any sort of game that is played with dice is not permissible in Islam. The Messenger of Allaah [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] said, "He who plays with dice is like the one who handles the blood and flesh of swine." [Muslim] In another narration he said: "He who plays with dice disobeys Allaah and His Messenger." [Muwatta] From these statements of the Prophet [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] we can see that it is not permissible for us to engage in any game that involves dice.
2. Chess: Chess is a game that is played between two people. It involves the use of a square board and chess pieces. This is a game that is very popular amongst the people generally. It is a game that requires a lot of mental exercise and therefore helps our planning ability. However, the people of knowledge have said a lot concerning this game called chess and most of them have said that it is disliked for someone to play this game.
This is because it is a game that is very addictive and as a result could lead to someone neglecting his religious and worldly obligation and for this reason, it becomes disliked to engage oneself in this kind of game. It is said that there was a chess match that lasted six months.
Obviously, the people involved in this match will not think seriously about any other thing except how to overcome their opponent! However, chess may become permissible if the following conditions are fulfilled;
1. One should not get so absorbed in it to the extent that an Obligatory duty is delayed or abandoned.
2. There should be no gambling involved
3. The use of images as chess-piece is avoided
4.The players should not utter obscenities or vulgarities. In conclusion, we can see that games and having leisure time are two things that are body and mind will always crave.
However, we must not allow any of the games or leisure that we partake in hinder us from the remembrance of Allaah and other more important Obligations. If we allow this to happen to us then we will regret that time that we used for those games and leisure.
This article was culled from the publications of Deen Communication Limited