1. Fanatical Attachment to Sports Clubs Produces Enmity, Insult and Evil (Munkar) — Advice for Those Who Are Fanatical About Sports Clubs- Shaykh Ibn Baaz (Rahimahullah)
The Question:
Many youths — and even elders as well — become deeply enthusiastic in their support of sports clubs (with over-excitement), causing among them fights, disputes, even enmities and personal exchanges of insults. What is your eminence’s advice for such people? May Allah reward you with good.
The Answer by Shaykh Abdul Azeez bin Abdullah bin Baaz (Rahimahullah):
There is no doubt that this enthusiasm toward these clubs, which leads to widespread dispute, enmity, hostility, and verbal abuse — there is no doubt that it is an evil (munkar). For the purpose of sport is strength of the body, and this is what is sought through sport — toughness and hardness of the limbs, strength of the nerves, endurance of hardship, and endurance of burdens. Therefore, it is not fitting for its people to insult one another, bear grudges against one another, or be fanatical (taʿassaba) — no.
The obligation upon them is to be brothers. This is what Allah has made obligatory upon them, whether one succeeded or failed, whether team such-and-such won or team such-and-such won. They are brothers absolutely. The winner and the one who did not win — between them there should be nothing but good speech, address in the best form, and the resolution of problematic matters with wisdom and an excellent methodology — not with insult, grudge, quarrel, and foul language.
It is also not fitting for them to do what happens in the markets nowadays — the racing about, shouting, and harming people on the roads. This is a kind of madness, and a kind of foolishness that no person of sense would find acceptable.
The people of the clubs should be reasonable. Whoever succeeded should praise Allah, and should not be arrogant toward his brother, or mock his brother, or harm his brother or anyone else.
The matter is trivial: did you succeed or did you not succeed? Did you kill the enemies of Allah? Did you kill the Russians so that you might succeed? What have you done? What have you achieved through this? What is the value of this victory?
If people possessed any sense, it would not be fitting for a person of reason to allow this supposed success to become the cause of grudges, quarrels, or harm to anyone — neither in the markets nor anywhere else. They come in their cars to the markets as if they were out of their senses — this is a grave error that does not befit people of reason at all. The obligation upon them is to be reasonable in their cars, in their speech, and in all their conduct — neither the loser nor the victor. What is the matter with the loser? And what has the victor done? What has he achieved? Did he drive the Jews out of Palestine? Did he aid the Afghans and defeat the Russians? What did he do?
It is all of no value whatsoever. Rather, we ask Allah to grant us and them guidance. We ask Allah to grant them sound intellects, sound opinions, and complete guidance.
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2. The ʿAdāwah wal-Bughḍāʾ Verse Applies to Football — The Ruling on Playing Football and Other Such Games- Shaykh Ibn Baaz
The Questioner:
What is the ruling on playing football and other such games?
The Answer by Shaykh Abdul Azeez bin Abdullah bin Baaz (Rahimahullah):
Any form of amusement (lahw) that leads to turning one away from the remembrance of Allah and from the prayer is forbidden — among them: backgammon (nard), chess, and every other type of game that distracts people from the obedience of Allah, turns them away from the obedience of Allah, and preoccupies them with that which Allah has made obligatory upon them. For Allah — Mighty and Majestic — said:
“Indeed, intoxicants, gambling, altar-stones, and divining arrows are impurities from the work of Satan. So avoid them so that you may be successful. Surely Satan intends to incite enmity (al-ʿadawah) and hatred (al-bughḍa) between you through intoxicants and gambling, and to prevent you from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer. Will you not then desist?” [Al-Maʾidah 90-91]
So al-maysir (gambling) is the wagering (muqaamara), and wagering is a diversion — wagering over money diverts people. So when a game resembling wagering comes and produces diversion — chess for money, nard for money, that is wagering (maysir) — and when chess comes without money, or what they call poker (buluut), it is from this same category: it is also a diversion and an occupation.
The same applies to the ball — football. If its players are distracted by it from the prayers, then it becomes forbidden upon them. However, if a people happen to play it — out of training, strengthening the body, running, and the giving and receiving — at a time that does not approach the prayer, does not turn them away from the prayer, and does not turn them away from any obligation, then the original ruling is permissibility; if found at a time in which it does not divert from the remembrance of Allah, nor from the performance of any obligation, then the original ruling is permissibility.
But what is observed today of its people — and we seek refuge in Allah — is that it has turned them away from every good, and preoccupies them from the prayers, and preoccupies others through them. It is not only them — it has preoccupied even the viewers, even at home — we seek refuge in Allah — it has preoccupied people at home and in the stadium.
The apparent judgement concerning it as it stands today is that it is forbidden (muharrama) and it is an evil (munkara). It is not permissible to engage in it at all — because it has turned them away from the remembrance of Allah and from the prayer, it has preoccupied them and others from the prayer, and it may cause them to miss the ʿAṣr prayer and the Maghrib prayer both because of this evil act. So what then? And what is the value of this ball? What value does it have? Were it not that Shaitan (Satan) has adorned it for its people — yes, if we suppose they were to practise it at a time in which it does not preoccupy them — we would not say it is forbidden; for it is a game, there is nothing of ribā (usury) in it, nor anything of maysir (gambling) in it. However, its matter today has grown, and they have exceeded all bounds in it — to the point that — and we seek refuge in Allah — it has become for them an obstacle to the performance of two obligatory prayers: the ʿAṣr prayer and the Maghrib prayer, when they hold it at the time of ʿAṣr — this is of the gravest evils (munkar). Then hundreds, and thousands attend it, all of them occupied with it, paying money to attend, and missing the prayer along with the players.
The Presenter: And the private parts (ʿawrāt) are uncovered?
The Shaykh: This is another affliction as well. If the thigh is exposed — and it is an ʿawrah — then this is another evil (munkar). We ask Allah to grant success to the state to eliminate it and prohibit it categorically, if it cannot be arranged that it has a designated time, with no harm in it and nothing contrary to the command of Allah.
Great effort has been expended in this — do not imagine that we have been heedless of this, nor that the people of knowledge have been heedless of it. Rather, great effort has been expended in this by the people of knowledge, and the people of knowledge have written to those in authority, and those in authority have agreed that it should be held at times that are sound, in which there is no turning away from the prayer. However, the implementation of this is difficult, and those in charge of it do not have the complete concern for this matter — to the extent that they would choose a fitting time, or to the extent that if the prayer comes in the venue, they would establish the prayer, and the people present would pray, then when Maghrib comes they would pray. This would be no harm — the matter in this regard would be broad. Yet they attend and then disperse — no prayer, neither ʿAṣr nor Maghrib. This is the calamity. However, if Allah were to guide them, and they were to establish the prayer in its time — ʿAṣr and Maghrib in their time — and then return to their play, that would not be harmful.
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3. Football Today Is Haram Until Its Harms Are Removed — The Ruling on Watching Football Matches- Shaykh Ibn Baaz
The Question:
Today, football matches are frequent, and they are broadcast on television. What is the ruling on watching them, if it is without fanaticism (ʿasabiyyah) and without anything resembling it, but simply for the purpose of relaxation for oneself?
The Answer by Shaykh Abdul Azeez bin Abdullah bin Baaz (Rahimahullah):
What is evident to us concerning football is: it is a distraction from good, and a distraction from the prayers in congregation, and it should be abandoned. If it were safeguarded and held at limited times, with the guarding of the ʿawrāt (private parts), their protection, and the establishment of the prayers, then the matter would have been easier. However, given what we observe among the people today — their preoccupiation with it, the tribulation (fitnah) it causes, and the waste of the prayers by both the viewers and the players — what we hold is that this act is forbidden (muḥarram), it is an evil (munkar), and it is not permissible to engage in it at all, neither in this country nor in any other land of the Muslims. For their practise of it has led them to great evil: it has preoccupies the people on the radio, it has preoccupies them on the television, it has preoccupies them in their times, and it has caused them to waste the prayers. And many of them wear clothing that exposes their ʿawrah, that exposes their thighs, and leads people into tribulation (fitnah) through them. All of this is among the evils (munkarāt) for which there is no justification.
In short: the football as the people practise it today, its evil is great and its benefit is null — and if there is any benefit in it, then it is very little on account of activity and the need for strength, and this little benefit is overshadowed by the abundant evil.
What we hold today is: that engaging in it is forbidden (muharram), and it is an evil (munkar) — except if its people commit to covering the ʿawraat (the thighs of players), preserving the times of the prayers, establishing the prayers in their proper times, and the playing of it is restricted to a defined and limited time that does not extend into causing waste of the prayers — whether by the viewers, or by the players, or by all of them. This is the reality, and we ask Allah for safety.
The Presenter: O Shaykh, do they uncover their Awraat to a severe degree? (TN: Not a literal translation of the questioner’s words, but this is what he wanted to ask.)
The Shaykh: May Allah guide them, may Allah return them to what is correct.
The Presenter: Do you write to them, O Shaykh, or—
The Shaykh: Allah al-Mustaʿān (Allah is the One sought for help). How much has been written, and how much has been written. Allah al-Mustaʿān. Do not think the matter is such-and-such — indeed, I have exerted every effort, but we ask Allah for guidance for ourselves and for them.
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(Translated by Mohammed bin Thajammul Hussain Manna.)