Fatwa ID: 05308

Answered by: Alimah Safiyya-Maryam Ahmed

Question

Any recent fatawa written about arcade games?

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer:

There are three basic categories of arcade games with many more subcategories: Video, Redemption, Merchandiser. [1]

Arcade Video Games are what most people are familiar with and include driving games, fighting games and are played for fun, competition, and high scores. There are no tickets or prizes, therefore, would be allowed to play as long as a person does not spend an excessive amount of time playing these games thus distracting them from their responsibilities to Allah and their family, etc. Imam Bukhari has a chapter in his Sahih titled: “Every form of entertainment is baseless and useless if it distracts one from the obedience of Allah”, [2] and the Prophet [s] prohibited from useless entertainment unless it has benefit in it such as horse training or archery for example. [3]

Also the environment one visits in order to play these games should be free from sins such as music, alcohol, resemblance to the entertainment of immoral people, and general open sinning. As a general rule, if an arcade game center is not a Muslim family-friendly place then one should not be going regardless of whether the games there are permitted or not. [4]

Redemption games are generally games of skill that reward players for achieving higher scores. The player plays for E-Ticket accumulation to redeem for high-quality prizes at the redemption center. Merchandiser games are a version of redemption games where you can win a prize directly from the machine. Players play for the experience of testing their skills, but mostly for a direct high-quality prize, photo, or product dispensed. Games, where you are playing for tickets/prizes, will not be allowed as this is a form of gambling where money is given with an uncertainty of whether you will get something in return or not. [5]

Only Allah knows best

Written by Alimah Safiyya-Maryam Ahmed

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham

https://www.betson.com/arcade-game-types-location/

صحيح البخاري, كتاب الاستئذان, باب كل لهو باطل إذا شغله عن طاعة الله ومن قال لصاحبه تعال أقامرك

حَدَّثَنَاسَعِيدُبْنُمَنْصُورٍ،حَدَّثَنَاعَبْدُاللَّهِبْنُالْمُبَارَكِ،حَدَّثَنِيعَبْدُالرَّحْمَنِبْنُيَزِيدَبْنِجَابِرٍ،حَدَّثَنِيأَبُوسَلاَّمٍ،عَنْخَالِدِبْنِزَيْدٍ،عَنْعُقْبَةَبْنِعَامِرٍ،قَالَسَمِعْتُرَسُولَاللَّهِصلىاللهعليهوسلميَقُولُ‏:‏‏”‏إِنَّاللَّهَعَزَّوَجَلَّيُدْخِلُبِالسَّهْمِالْوَاحِدِثَلاَثَةَنَفَرٍالْجَنَّةَ‏:‏صَانِعَهُيَحْتَسِبُفِيصَنْعَتِهِالْخَيْرَ،وَالرَّامِيَبِهِ،وَمُنْبِلَهُ،وَارْمُواوَارْكَبُوا،وَأَنْتَرْمُواأَحَبُّإِلَىَّمِنْأَنْتَرْكَبُوا،لَيْسَمِنَاللَّهْوِإِلاَّثَلاَثٌ‏:‏تَأْدِيبُالرَّجُلِفَرَسَهُوَمُلاَعَبَتُهُأَهْلَهُوَرَمْيُهُبِقَوْسِهِوَنَبْلِهِ،وَمَنْتَرَكَالرَّمْىَبَعْدَمَاعَلِمَهُرَغْبَةًعَنْهُفَإِنَّهَانِعْمَةٌتَرَكَهَا‏”‏‏.‏أَوْقَالَ‏:‏‏”‏كَفَرَهَا‏”(سنن لبي داود, كتاب الجهاد, باب في الرمي, حديث ٢٥١٣)

دعيإلىوليمةوثمةلعبأوغناءقعدوأكل) لوالمنكرفيالمنزل،فلوعلىالمائدةلاينبغيأنيقعدبليخرجمعرضالقولهتعالى: * (فلاتقعدبعدالذكرىمعالقومالظالمين) * (فإنقدرعلىالمنعفعلوإلا) يقدر (صبرإنلميكنممنيقتدىبهفإن

كان) مقتدي (ولميقدرعلىالمنعخرجولميقعد) لانفيهشينالدين،والمحكيعنالامامكانقبلأنيصيرمقتدىبه (وإنعلمأولا) باللعب (لايحضرأصلا) سواءكانممنيقتدىبهأولا،لانحقالدعوةإنمايلزمهبعدالحضورلاقبله،ابنكمال.

وفيالسراج: ودلتالمسألةأنالملاهيكلهاحرام،ويدخلعليهمبلاإذنهملانكارالمنكر (رد المحتار, الجزء التاسع, صفحة ٥٠١, كتاب الحظر والاباحة, دار عالم الكتب)

الرباهوالفضلالخاليعنالعوض،وحقيقةالشروطالفاسدةهيزيادةمالايقتضيهالعقدولايلائمهفيكونفيهفضلخالعنالعوضوهوالربابعينه (رد المحتار, كتاب البيوع, باب الربا, دار عالم الكتب)