Fatwa ID: 02246

Answered by Ustadha Mahdiyah Siddique

Question:

Asalamualaikum.
Hazrat,
The question is not surrounding the permissibility of playing videos games, but selling to make money. I have a friend who owns a few, and intends on selling them at a nearby game shop who will buy them for a third of the price. He will not just throw them away, but insists he wants to make some money out of it.
If he does this is the money halal for him to accept?

Answer:

In response to your question; 

Allah the Almighty mentions, ‘And of the people is he who buys the amusement of speech to mislead (others) from the way of Allah without knowledge and who takes it in ridicule. Those will have a humiliating punishment.’ (Surah Luqman: Verse 6)

On the basis of the aforementioned Quranic verse, the selling or buying of games would become dependent on their nature and type, meaning the content featured in the games. If the content is of the nature that goes against the guidelines set by the Shariah, and serves as a waste of time bringing about no good thereof, then the selling of such games will be impermissible as this will aid in misleading others, however games that do not contain any features as mentioned will be regarded as permissible and their buying/selling will also be permitted.

Only Allah Knows Best

Written by Ustadha Mahdiyah Siddique

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham