Is Nike Haram?

[KEUNIT]

As much as I am concerned about this subject, I just have to say "Is Nike really Haram?" The word "Nike" signifies a greek goddess, now let us think over here. How many people wear Nike in the summer? It's unbelievable! I personally don't know if Nike is Haram or not because when i wear a Nike shoes or cloths, I don't mean to represent a greek goddess. So can anyone please give a straight answer to this?

[KEUNIT]

You guys, I'm not joking in this case. Most people say it is Haram because of the meaning of it, but I don't really believe them because it's just a Brand name clothes to wear. Can anyone confirm if it is really Haram?

[ahsanirfan]

So basically you're asking if you can wear a Nike merchandise, even if the brand name is the name of a Greek goddess?

[KEUNIT]

http://www.shariahboard.com/fatwa/Clothing/1157.php
It says over there, but I'm still not sure if it's Halal or Haram...

[ahsanirfan]

so there is difference of opinion..... wear nike all u want... but i'd go with the more cautious opinion (personally)...

[ze leetle elper]

The relentless rise of transnational corporations (TNC's) lie at the core of globalisation.

Brand names such as Nike and Coca-Cola are now becoming some of the most widely recognised images around. Over the last 10 years, capitalism has spread rapidly across the world.

Corporations such as Nike, Coca-Cola and Gap are open for business across the Third World, however their products are often produced in disgusting sweatshops where the workers, including children, work very long hours, under poor conditions, and at a very low wage.

Nike continues to treat its labour problems as a matter of public relations. Nike's factory wages are still the lowest amongst foreign owned factories. Many studies have confirmed that Nike do not pay its workers enough to live on. Nike's factories continue to abuse its workers rights and violate their labour rights.

Numerous reports, conducted by NGO's focus on the disgusting conditions the workers are forced to work under, and the poor treatment they suffer.

For every 1 factory worker, there are 15 outworkers.

The majority of outworkers are from non-English speaking backgrounds and are forced to work out of their homes. They are often paid as little as $2 per hour, equivalent to £1.27p, and usually work up to 78 hours a week. Workers are often unaware of their rights, conditions or even who their employer is.

Often they have nothing more than a load of material dumped on their doorstep, with the order to complete the work by a certain day. Outworkers are forced to stay up all night to finish the job, as deadlines are usually changed to an earlier date, therefore if the goods are not ready, the workers are not paid.

Nike has around 700 factories, within which 20% of the workers are creating Nike products. Conditions for these workers and campaigns of harassment and abuse have been criticized in the public eye. In Indonesia, the following was reported:

Over 50% of the workers had personally experienced or observed verbal abuse.

An average of 8% of workers reported unwelcome sexual comments,

And fewer than 4% reported being physically abused.

The main concern voiced by the majority of workers was in regards to their physical environment.

Nike claims they do not use outworkers, therefore continue to refuse to sign the Homeworkers Code of Practise, which guarantees basic minimum wages, as well as improved working conditions.

Nike is a leader of a global system of exploitation. They are the industry leaders and their mode of manufacture has been to keep moving to countries where workers have least rights, where unions are outlawed and where governments and military will often participate to keep workers under control.

Child Labour

Nike has also been accused of child labour in the production of its footballs in Pakistan. Pakistan has active laws against child labour and slavery, yet the government has taken very little action towards Nike child based industries. The US constitution itself, considers child labour as an illegal and inhumane practise.

Children as young as 4 or 5 years old, are involved in the child labour process. This problem is not just limited to Pakistan, but also applies to the majority of the Eastern countries, including India, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Has Nike made any improvements?

The changes Nike have made, at factory level, have been mainly in the area of Health and Safety, often turning a blind eye to the issue of wages, union rights and independent monitoring.

However, unfortunately, even in the area of health and safety Nike is not willing to allow monitoring by independent experts.

Nike needs to allow independent health and safety inspections of their factories and publicly report their findings. Until they are willing to do so, consumers cannot be certain that Nike goods are made in appropriate conditions.

What do Nike say?

Nike claims that their employees do not suffer inadequate working conditions. In regards to the child labour, Nike now operate stitching centres where the non-use of child labour can be verified.

Furthermore Nike attempts to conceal details of their factories, claiming that the information would be used by NGO's in order to fuel further attacks. In terms of wage rates for their workers, Nike emphasizes the constant comparison of US dollar equivalent.

The establishing of a fair wage is a difficult process and the equivalents are meaningless in regards to the difference cost of living in the countries concerned.

Nike find it appalling how they have become the main focus in the area of worker exploitation, they request the public to examine their competitors and to acknowledge if any measures have been taken by the companies, over the last few years to improve working standards.


It is evident that Nike are well aware of all the scrutiny they are receiving. Yet they do not seem concerned enough to make rapid improvements in their foreign-based factories.

Investment in infrastructure is necessary for economic growth. Nike see themselves as contributing to the development of these countries, and suggest that their input will help countries build an industrial economy, which will raise the standard of living.

It is difficult to believe Nike maintain such employment practises, why must they exploit workers, including children, to make a profit?

Simply because they can exploit Third World countries, it does not necessarily mean they should.

Hundreds of children in Third World countries work for multi-billion dollar companies, such as Nike. There are always two sides to the argument and here it seems the only positive thing about companies such as Nike, is that they receive billions in revenue, because of their labour exploitation.

Nike claims to spread value and practises of market capitalism. In some cases they are doing so, yet the method they employ is evidently inappropriate.

[nayyerjigar]

the only way for us commoners to stop these *evil* corporations is to completely boycott them in every way possible: from not buying any of their stuff to advising others to do the same to avoiding their commercials...

These big companies have no interest in the welfare of their employees at all. For instance IBM recently announced thousands of layoffs not because they went into a loss in the first quarter of 2005 but their profits of 1.2 billion $ (which IMHO are quite a lot :)) were way short of what they expected...

They just care about profits, profits, profits.

perhaps we should compile a list of companies to avoid? It would be a pretty long list I would imagine..

:salam:

[Hamzah]

Haram or not, they make a killing exploiting children (most of which are Muslim) in sweatshops.

There are better clothes and shoes out there.

[ahsanirfan]

This side of the story is indeed interesting...

[Alhumdulillah]

Assalamoalaykum...

Maybe it is better to refrain from wearing 'Nike' clothes:

http://www.islam.tc/ask-imam/view.php?q=11130

Wasalaam.

[KEUNIT]

How about if you wear a red shirt that says Tommy Hilfiger on it? I wear that when I pray.

[Travelleress]

As salaamu 'alaykum,

I read a fatwa by Mufti Ebrahim Desai where somebody asked a similar question; his reply was that it would be best not to wear such brand names because of the type of culture which is associated with them. Since most of that culture, if not all, is in conflict with Islam.

I can't actually find it on the website though... maybe somebody else could confirm?

Wasalam.

[ze leetle elper]

Related link: http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=583&page=1&pp=10

[Nafeesa]

Who would wanna wear nike, wearing a nike t shirt with a big huge nike tic in the middle of it, u might as well right muppet on ur forehead n walk around with that. why fund nike by paying 100 or so quid for a pair of air force ones when it only cost nike like 20 p to make, are these ppl out of their minds. why dnt u just get some cheap n gud quality sweat shirts n trainers or joggers or wateva from asda george, ud be saving so much money n doing these poor third world kids a favour. i hate these pathetic american made companies


as for the dude who asked about tommy hilfiger
How about if you wear a red shirt that says Tommy Hilfiger on it? I wear that when I pray.

lol Mate, u wear tommy hilfiger wen u pray, the same tommy hilfiger that sed on the oprah winfrey show "if i had known black n asian ppl would wear my clothes i wouldnt have bothered making them at all"

Why wud u wanna don some racist idiots (to put it politely) clothes when he hates the **** out of u for being brown or black, or wateva u are apart from white. NOW THATS JUST DUMB

[Kareem]

lol Mate, u wear tommy hilfiger wen u pray, the same tommy hilfiger that sed on the oprah winfrey show "if i had known black n asian ppl would wear my clothes i wouldnt have bothered making them at all"
i think thats nothing more than a myth

[KEUNIT]

i think thats nothing more than a myth
No trust me, it's very true, but I don't care.

[Hamzah]

As much as I dislike corporations, we shouldn't spread lies and rumours around without sufficient evidence ... no matter how "evil" the corporation or entity is. I believed the racist Hilfiger thing too until I did more research.

Tommy Hilfiger was never on Oprah Winfrey.

http://www.snopes.com/racial/business/hilfiger.asp

I hope that clears up misconceptions. My opinion is that we shouldn't support it, but at the same time let's not make up things about corporations either.

[Nafeesa]

As much as I dislike corporations, we shouldn't spread lies and rumours around without sufficient evidence ... no matter how "evil" the corporation or entity is. I believed the racist Hilfiger thing too until I did more research.

erm mate, i saw the show my self

[abu-bakr]

I don't think Nike is Haram. The word "Nike" actually means "Victory" in greek (Greek Νίκη, pronounced /'nike/ "Nee-keh", meaning "Victory"). And because she was a goddess of Victory, she was called Nike.

We cannot boycott the word "victory" or "nike" just because she was called that. Just like we do not boycott the name "Yazid" which actually means "addition" or "increase".

[Zahra]

Assalamu Alaikum,

This discussion is getting rather heated up lol. We're surrounded by brand names everywhere....so as long as we're not bigging up say Nike instead of Adidas its all good. Just be aware of your intention..if you're wearing Nike clothes because you find they are of good quality or whatever surely that's fine. Okay moving on from Nike...I'm just curious about this..does Gap stand for gay and proud? :$

Assalamu Alaikum.

[Gajji]

Okay moving on from Nike...I'm just curious about this..does Gap stand for gay and proud? :$


No, that is an urban myth. It was taken from the phrase "Generation Gap".

[Nafeesa]

gaps whack any way, dnt sell anything gud in there.

[Alhumdulillah]

I don't think Nike is Haram. The word "Nike" actually means "Victory" in greek (Greek Νίκη, pronounced /'nike/ "Nee-keh", meaning "Victory"). And because she was a goddess of Victory, she was called Nike.

We cannot boycott the word "victory" or "nike" just because she was called that. Just like we do not boycott the name "Yazid" which actually means "addition" or "increase".

Assalamoalaykum...

Okay, so tell me something, would you wear clothes which are called after a hindu 'god' ?

According to the Wikipedia, online Encycopedia:


"The company takes its name from the Greek goddess of victory, Nike. The popular Swoosh logo is a graphic design created by Carolyn Davidson in 1971 for $35. The logo represents the wing of the Greek Goddess."

It is one thing to be simply named after the word 'Victory' but it is another thing to be named after a 'goddess' who is named 'victory'. Think about it, there is a difference.

Look at this:

http://www.nike.com/nikebiz/nikebiz.jhtml?page=3&item=facts

from the company's own website which states:


In 1972 BRS changed its name to Nike, named for the Greek winged goddess of victory.

So even according to them, it is named after the greek 'goddess' not simply the word victory.

Also from the company's web site:

http://www.nike.com/nikebiz/media/nike_timeline/nike_timeline.pdf


Jeff Johnson, Nike's first employee, makes
his most enduring contribution to the
company. While sleeping he dreams of
Nike, the Greek goddess of victory --
giving the company its new name. Nike
won out over Knight's idea of calling the
company "Dimension 6."

which proves the origins of the name. So I think your argument is not sound. Mufti Desai's fatawa has already been mentioned in a previous post.

Wasalaam.

[Nafeesa]

well said alhumdulilah dude.

[abu-bakr]

Assalamoalaykum...

Okay, so tell me something, would you wear clothes which are called after a hindu 'god' ?

According to the Wikipedia, online Encycopedia:



It is one thing to be simply named after the word 'Victory' but it is another thing to be named after a 'goddess' who is named 'victory'. Think about it, there is a difference.

Look at this:

http://www.nike.com/nikebiz/nikebiz.jhtml?page=3&item=facts

from the company's own website which states:



So even according to them, it is named after the greek 'goddess' not simply the word victory.

Also from the company's web site:

http://www.nike.com/nikebiz/media/nike_timeline/nike_timeline.pdf



which proves the origins of the name. So I think your argument is not sound. Mufti Desai's fatawa has already been mentioned in a previous post.

Wasalaam.

Oh i see.. very valuable information brother you are so right :D . by the way, it was not an argument, just an opinion. Anyways thanks for correcting me.

So much for my newly bought air force ones.. :mad:

ma salam

[Nafeesa]

So much for my newly bought air force ones.. :mad:

lol what a wounder

[Hamzah]

erm mate, i saw the show my self

Well this is weird then.

I can't imagine Oprah Winfrey doing that though.

[Alhumdulillah]

by the way, it was not an argument, just an opinion. Anyways thanks for correcting me.

Assalamoalaykum...

Forgive me for any offence, I meant 'your argument' as in 'your position on this matter', and of course, it doesn't necessarily mean that I am correct on this matter, because I am just a layman and there might be a lot of different perspectives to look from, and of course there could be many valid differences of opinion.

Wasalaam.

[eTeacher]

My take on the issue is:

I don't know of anyone who wears Nike gear to rever some Greek goddess. It depends on the intention of the person wearing it. Also, if people wore Nike gear to rever the Greek goddess and that was famous amongst the people i.e. wearing it to rever the goddess, then it would be wrong to wear it.

If you were to ask the average Joe on the street the meaning of Nike, he most likely wont know the meaning. 99% of the people don't know that it means the greek goddess of victory. Since people don't wear it with that intention, and it's not specifically limited to a group or religion, it should be fine to wear it.

I wear Nike gear because of its durability. They also feel comfortable, they last long, ...and because of other reasons. I don't wear it because I'm promoting the Greek Goddess of Victory.

When we recite the Quran, many times we are rewarded for reciting the names of the vilest enemies of Allah. The leader being Shaytan and his cronies like Qaroon and Firaun and Haman. Should we remove them from the Quran because they are the enemies of Allah? Why are their names mentioned in the Quran if merely having the names of the enemies of Allah are wrong to be written and worn? This point is a slight digression from this discussion but none the less....intention is what matters and the prevalent customs at that time as well....


I go with what Mufti Nawalur Rahman mentions:

To say that something is impermissible just because it has a wrong name does not make sense to me. Just because a certain scholar has declared the prohibition of a certain object does not mean that everyone has to follow that opinion, especially when there is no Nass (religious text) present to support that claim. The angle through which we view this problem is that there is nothing wrong with this product. When people use this product they don’t have the intent of glorifying a pagan God. In fact, in certain situations they are actually disgracing the name. For example: by wearing a shoe, an object which is used with feet to trample things upon can actually be a disgrace for the name of that object. If a shoe is named Fir own, would it be impermissible to wear that shoe? It's possible that Maulana has given his declaration of prohibitions based on certain special reasons. Whoever has faith and trust on whatever ruling should follow that ruling.
http://www.shariahboard.com/fatwa/Clothing/1157.php

Allah knows best
-nazim
http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=emam

[Gajji]

From the Oprah website:


Oprah put to rest a rumor about designer Tommy Hilfiger. For the record, the rumored event that has circulated on the Internet and by word-of-mouth never happened. Mr. Hilfiger has never appeared on the show. In fact, Oprah has never even met him.

Now I am confused.

Are you saying that there has been a cover-up?

[Hamzah]

That's why I'm confused.

It's almost next to impossible to cover something up that has been on TV. Especially a show as popular as Oprah's.

[Nafeesa]

If you were to ask the average Joe on the street the meaning of Nike, he most likely wont know the meaning. 99% of the people don't know that it means the greek goddess of victory. Since people don't wear it with that intention, and it's not specifically limited to a group or religion, it should be fine to wear it.

yea but u wouldnt walk around with a t shirt saying jesus on it or krishna or hanuman or ganesh or shiva etc. its the same principle just because ppl might not know the meaning of nike we still conciously know what the meaning is.


When we recite the Quran, many times we are rewarded for reciting the names of the vilest enemies of Allah. The leader being Shaytan and his cronies like Qaroon and Firaun and Haman. Should we remove them from the Quran because they are the enemies of Allah? Why are their names mentioned in the Quran if merely having the names of the enemies of Allah are wrong to be written and worn? This point is a slight digression from this discussion but none the less....intention is what matters and the prevalent customs at that time as well....

that is a whole different matter completely. doesnt mean just cuz the devils name apears on the quran doesnt mean that its ok to walk around with a tshirt saying "iblees" or "devil/satan" on it. lol


When people use this product they don’t have the intent of glorifying a pagan God. In fact, in certain situations they are actually disgracing the name. For example: by wearing a shoe, an object which is used with feet to trample things upon can actually be a disgrace for the name of that object. If a shoe is named Fir own, would it be impermissible to wear that shoe?

yea but how many ppl do u know buy nike trainers with the intention of literaly degrading the greek gods name. the reason most ppl buy em is cuz they think they look gud n to show off (im talking about the asian ute) n they wud try not to get em dirty.

any ways Nike clothes are made in sweatshops in the Far East, often by teenagers, who are treated like ****, paid so little that they can't even afford to feed their families and are subjected to violence and sexual abuse. By buying Nike clothes, you are contributing towards global poverty and abuse. END OF

[abdushakur]

i think maulana eTeacher has given the most balanced reply, mashallah.

i would never wear a t-shirt with 'khrishna' as a logo (even a small pocket logo) bcos khrishna is a 'god' who is presently revered and known as such.

whereas with the 'god' 'nike'...talk about water under the bridge!
the meaning/import of the word has changed over the centuries...yes, centuries - or is that millennia!
as time passes and things change, so do fatwas.
it would have probably been haram to wear 'nike' in the year 3000 BC but in 2005 AD it may have changed slightly! (wild anachronisms i know).

i personally do not buy nike products bcos i dont want to buy into their whole culture - i dont like the way they market their goods - i dont want to belong to the nike 'crew'.

but if i do spot a nice top that has been made by nike, i would buy it bcos of its quality and design. a one-off purchase probably.

the moral issue of whether or not we should be buying products that have been made in south asian sweatshops is another thing...

[eTeacher]

yea but u wouldnt walk around with a t shirt saying jesus on it or krishna or hanuman or ganesh or shiva etc. its the same principle just because ppl might not know the meaning of nike we still conciously know what the meaning is.

that is a whole different matter completely. doesnt mean just cuz the devils name apears on the quran doesnt mean that its ok to walk around with a tshirt saying "iblees" or "devil/satan" on it. lol

yea but how many ppl do u know buy nike trainers with the intention of literaly degrading the greek gods name. the reason most ppl buy em is cuz they think they look gud n to show off (im talking about the asian ute) n they wud try not to get em dirty.
any ways Nike clothes are made in sweatshops in the Far East, often by teenagers, who are treated like ****, paid so little that they can't even afford to feed their families and are subjected to violence and sexual abuse. By buying Nike clothes, you are contributing towards global poverty and abuse. END OF


>>>>yea but u wouldnt walk around with a t shirt saying jesus on it or krishna or hanuman or ganesh or shiva etc. its the same principle just because ppl might not know the meaning of nike we still conciously know what the meaning is.

First of all, people don't know the true meaning of Nike, second thing is there is no one out there in the world who revers Nike the Greek Goddess . Like I mentioned, no one cares what it means. People don't by it for reverance. Where as people who wear Jesus and all the other names you mentioned, are specifically worn to rever them. So it's NOT the same principal. We still conciously know what it means?... People don't know what it means.

>>>>that is a whole different matter completely. doesnt mean just cuz the devils name apears on the quran doesnt mean that its ok to walk around with a tshirt saying "iblees" or "devil/satan" on it. lol

last time i checked...even though i'm a kaccha hafiz :), i didn't find Nike mentioned in the Quran....my point was...just because it has the meaning of a god...it doesn't mean it's wrong to wear it because of my two mentioned reasons..one was...people don't know what it means...second thing is..people don't wear it to rever the greek goddess....if there was something wrong in writing the words satan/iblees...they would never been written in the quran...it depends on the persons intention....and the prevalent customs at that time...now if someone wore a shirt which would show reverance to krishna or whatever....that would be wrong...and if the person wearing it said...i'm not wearing it with that intention....it would still be wrong..because people wear it to rever the Hindu god....so it doesn't matter about the person's intention in this krishna case...as far as the Nike brand goes....it's a whole different ball game....


>>>>>the reason most ppl buy em is cuz they think they look gud n to show off (im talking about the asian ute) n they wud try not to get em dirty.

to show off? how do you know that?....did you tear people's hearts?...intention is hidden...only allah knows what is in the heart's of humans...try to not get em dirty?......who buys shoes to get them dirty?lol...even the cheapest shoes in the world...people try to not get them dirty....

>>>>any ways Nike clothes are made in sweatshops in the Far East, often by teenagers, who are treated like ****, paid so little that they can't even afford to feed their families and are subjected to violence and sexual abuse. By buying Nike clothes, you are contributing towards global poverty and abuse.

first of all...no one is telling them to work there...second thing is....so you want Nike to close their factories there?...that's really smart...will the closing of factories contribute towards the increase of global poverty or decrease global poverty?....other solutions must be found....maybe the workers should all go on a strike...i'm not an economist so i'm not gonna waste my time trying to find a solution....

By using your computer, you are contributing towards global poverty and abuse cause some component of it must have been made in some third world country by teenagers, who are treated like ****, paid so little that they can't even afford to feed their families and are subjected to violence and sexual abuse. So my advice to you is, point your mouse towards the start button on the bottom left hand corner of your screen and click it. Then click turn off computer and then choose Turn off and then once it closes down, take out all the plugs from the tower, wrap it up and take it back to where you got it from.... :)..... naaaaa....just kidding...sister nafeesa.... if we say that about Nike, then we can't limit it to Nike, the same thing happens with sooo many other products as well....that is why when scholars provide an answer... they don't look at one case...they look at its far reaching impact...

any ways....I don't understand why people have to be so hardcore about things like this....when someone like Mufti Nawalur Rahman says it's ok....like many other Muftis as well..then why do we have to be so hardcore after that...I talked to Mufti Yusuf Mulla of Shariahprogram many months ago about this...and his view is the same as Mufti Nawal.....

other than that...gtg.....in a rush...but before i do....there is a bigger moral dilemma going on right now....I want you to click on the following link and have a look at it...it's my blog...the title is Moral Dilemma:

http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=emam

Peace,
Nazim

[faqir]

Anyone tried those Nike Free shoes yet? "From bare feet to free feet"

[I got a pair - they weren't free ;) ]

Seriously, some of the ask-imam.com fatwas leave me scratching my head. [Sunnipath zindabaad!]

[Mossy]

You know, Thursday was named after the Viking God Thor..

[Gajji]

Right, that's it! I'm living a 6 day week from now on!

Wait a minute...isn't Wednesday named after Odin; and Saturday after Saturn? I think I've got a problem here...:confused:

[Mossy]

Heh: http://www.indepthinfo.com/weekdays/theweek.shtml

[Gajji]

At the risk of going COMPLETELY off the topic, they said on that link that the Babylonians invented the 7 day week so how do we know our Friday today is the real Friday?. Howcome the whole world is on the same day (give or take time differences)?

Isn't that the biggest coincidence ever??? :confused:

[abu-bakr]

Anyone tried those Nike Free shoes yet? "From bare feet to free feet"

[I got a pair - they weren't free ;) ]

Seriously, some of the ask-imam.com fatwas leave me scratching my head. [Sunnipath zindabaad!]

Aslam alaikum brother,

regarding the statement you made about Sunnipath and ask-imam. i have been visiting ask-imam from a long time and am satisfied by their verdicts, but after finding out and reading sunnipath, i find it more detailed and nicely explained... it is just that i am not aware of the authenticity of that site and it has a lot of "sufi" influence on it, i am a normal practicing sunni and am not aware of sufism so feel a little scared going on that side so i can prevent myself from misguidance. Can you or anyone else help me on this issue?

PS: i have no offence against any sect of creed it is just i do not have very much knowledge about sufism because i have not been around many sufis.

ma salam

[Mossy]

They're both fine.

You'll get positions closer to the hardest one with ask-imam (deobandi styles) and a more arab Hanafism from sunnipath.

[Alhumdulillah]

Assalamoalaykum...

There are many differences of opinion between the Ulema. The Sahaaba RadiAllahu Anhum had differences of opinion, the Mujtahideen of Fiqh had differences of opinion, and up to our present day Ulema, there are different opinions. They were all great and learned Ulema. The differences of opinion between the Ulema on Ask-Imam.com and Sunnipath.com are similar. So too are the differences mentioned in this thread between Mufti Ebrahim Desai Sahib and Mufti Nawallar Rahman Sahib regarding nike clothes. Both are Ulema e Haq, and yet both have different opinions regarding this issue. That is totally expected. I don't think it is fair to say that Ask-Imam fatawas are the 'hardest' and that the Arab ulema issue 'softer' fatawa. Mufti Nawallur Rahman Sahib and Mufti Ebrahim Desai Sahib are both from the same background, and they have ruled differently. Both of them are reliable, and the Ask-Imam site is definately reliable too. I think it is a bit disrespectful, Brother Faqir, to say that the fatawa leave you 'scratching your head'. Anyway, let us not allow Shaytaan to turn this thread into 'this Ulema vs. that Ulema' since they are all on Haqq and have differences of opinion.

Regarding 'Nike' - yes, this batil is no longer taken as an object of worship, and people no longer know what it means. BUT, the fact remains that the shoe campany was named directly after this 'goddess'.


Jeff Johnson, Nike's first employee, makes his most enduring contribution to the company. While sleeping he dreams of Nike, the Greek goddess of victory -- giving the company its new name. Nike won out over Knight's idea of calling the company "Dimension 6."

So whether people know about it or not, it is the reality and it cannot be denied.

Look from this perspective - of all things, Shirk is the most abhorrent to Allah Ta'ala. The foundation of this company's name is based in shirk, and that is not a small matter. How can a muttaqi mumin stand in front of Allah Ta'ala in Salaat, speaking to Allah, humbling and prostrating before Allah Ta'ala, whilst on his body he has a label with the name of the enemy of Allah, a name which has a connection to shirk? That is just against adab, if nothing else.

Understandably, if a normal person on the street does not know about this connection, then it is a different matter; it is no wonder that he wears the clothes because he is not aware of the reality. But for a person who is aware of the reality, I feel that it really is strange that he would continue wearing these clothes - despite his love for them, I feel that he should give them up and sacrifice them for the sake of Allah, because they have a label connected to shirk, and shirk is a serious thing.

Even if we are not worshipping that idol, why would we want to wear it? Imagine if I came out with a clothing company which instead of being called Dolce&Gabbana is called 'Lat&Uzza' which ware preIslamic idols worshipped in Arabia. Imagine that the name was not a coincidence, but I specifically mentioned that I named the company after the idols. How would any Muslim even come near to these clothes? Despite the fact that no one of us nowadays worships those idols - yet still, it is connected to shirk, and shirk is hated by Allah, and shirk is a serious thing.

Another thing, I agree with sister Nafeesa that 'Nike' shoes are not generally worn to abase and disrespect tha idols name. If anything, in many cases, these shoes and clothes are worn as a sign of honour and a sign or prestige. These shoes are very sought after and people pay a lot of money for them because of the brand name whereas cheap trainers or clothes are extremely similar and cheaper. Yet people will still opt for the designer label, because the love of that label is in their hearts, and in their sight, it is a sign of status and respect and honour. If you will argue that many people don't take the label into account and only buy the clothes because of the design and the good quality, then I will argue that while that may be the case for some people, many other people do in fact buy it for the 'label' and I don't this this is deniable. That is also something to consider.

At the end of the day, there are differences of opinion. As Mufti Nawwarul Rahman mentioned - Whoever has faith and trust on whatever ruling should follow that ruling.

--

Brother Mossy, regarding the days of the week; this is a bit different, because not wearing 'nike' clothes does not involve any hardship, and in fact it is a voluntary thing which is easily avoided and which does not involve hardship if given up. Majlisul Ulama of South Africa has given a ruling that the names of months and days are permissible to use inspite of their connotations of shirk because they are mentioned out of necessity.

Wasalaam.

[haqq]

some of the sunnipath answers leave me asking "how lenient can you get"?

Anyways, here is a answer to a similar question related to the topic:


‘Nike’ clothing is not permissible regardless of the connotations of the word ‘Nike’. Even if this word was not the name of a Greek goddess, it will still be prohibited for Muslims to wear such garments on account of the factor of Tashabbuh Bil Kuffaar (emulating the non-Muslims). It is haraam to imitate non-Muslims or to adopt any of their superfluous practices. When there is no need for a practice which the kuffaar had originated, then even if it has no shirki meanings, it is not permissible to adopt it.

On the otherhand, if there is a need, then it will be permissible to adopt such a practice. Thus, the names of months and days are permissible inspite of their connotations of shirk. In mentioning the days by these names, the factor of imitation or emulating the kuffaar is furthest from our minds. These names are mentioned out of necessity in the same way as we use modern products of technology manufactured by the kuffaar. Since these products are necessary, the question of emulation does not apply. But in the matter of garments, eating styles, customs, and any other sphere of life it will not be permissible to adopt kuffaar ways, methods and fashions when these are not in the category of need.

Consider the name Muhammad. It is a beautiful Islamic name. If an evil person with this name commits an act of kufr, it will be said that ‘Muhammad’ has become a murtadd. Muhammad is the name of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). But circumstances constrain its use in a bad manner. In view of the need, it will be permissible to attribute irtidaad and kufr to the person with this name and categorically mention the name.

Swearing an oath in the name of Apollo and the Hippocratic oath are obviously acts of shirk which are not permissible. The issue of emulation does not even arise here. These acts by themselves are acts of shirk which negate Imaan. All those doctors who swear such oaths of shirk have to compulsorily renew their Imaan as well as their Nikahs if they happened to be married at the time of taking the oaths of shirk. It is exactly in the same category as bowing to an idol. So, whether an ignorant Muslim understands that such bowing is shirk or not, it is of no consequence in saving his Imaan. He becomes a murtadd by such bowing.

Was-salaam
A.S.Desai
for Mujlisul Ulama of South Africa

[mishor]

There's an Indian sheikh called Dr Zakir Naik (pronounced Nike).
Does he too hold the name of the greek godess. Personally I don't think he does.

[Nafeesa]

I rest my case, brother Alhamdulilah n brother Haqq big up to u

[ze leetle elper]

An interesting dialogue.

[abu-bakr]

There's an Indian sheikh called Dr Zakir Naik (pronounced Nike).
Does he too hold the name of the greek godess. Personally I don't think he does.

Brother "naik" is not pronounced as "nike", they are different in pronouncation. I think Alhumdilallah is right on this one because the concept of naming the shoe nike was after having a dream of the greek goddess nike not just the word "nike". A dream of a pagan god which leads to the naming of a company is defenitely a work of shaytaan. And the logo also represents the wing of the goddess.

I dont think that we should wear it even if 99% don't know about what it really means, even if it comes to what people think, then that includes the 1% too, there are chances for a person to encounter another person who knows that we are wearing a merchandise named after a greek goddess.

Why don't you play with a knife even if there are 99% chances of not getting hurt? because there IS a chance for 1%.

Personally, i dont think in this case its what the people think(except for the non-muslim resembling), it is about the truth. How can you decieve yourself by wearing a shoe named after a pagan goddess just because you believe that a majority of people don't know about it. There are many places in this world where 99% of people have not heard about islam, does that mean it is not the truth?

2:42 And cover not Truth with falsehood, nor conceal the Truth when ye know (what it is).

It is about YOU, and when YOU know it is named after a goddess, then YOU should stop wearing it, without caring about what people actually think about it.

would you like to wear a shirt saying "I love Abu Jahl" or "Haman Inc." on it? lol jk

ma salam -where is the smily shorcurt for salam?

[Nafeesa]

yep i agree abu bakr

[eTeacher]

At times people don't differentiate between taqwa and fatwa and intermingle them. Especially Mujlisul Ulama of South Africa (there is only one person behind that..I don't know why it's called Majlisul Ulama) and to a lesser extent ask-imam website.

>>>>It is about YOU, and when YOU know it is named after a goddess, then YOU should stop wearing it, without caring about what people actually think about it.

Good point.

Salam,
Nazim
http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=emam

[haqq]

At times people don't differentiate between taqwa and fatwa and intermingle them. Especially Mujlisul Ulama of South Africa (there is only one person behind that..I don't know why it's called Majlisul Ulama) and to a lesser extent ask-imam website.

http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=emam

Please don't contribute to spreading rumors about the Majlisul Ulama. One thing is not agreeing with the fatwaa but one should not attack the integrity and down play the fatwaa of Majlisul Ulama by saying it's 'only one person behind that'.

[eTeacher]

Please don't contribute to spreading rumors about the Majlisul Ulama. One thing is not agreeing with the fatwaa but one should not attack the integrity and down play the fatwaa of Majlisul Ulama by saying it's 'only one person behind that'.

Br. Haqq, I'm not attacking the integrity of:

http://www.themajlis.net/module-ContentExpress-display-ceid-1.html

I am just stating what more than one Mufti has told me about their answers in where they mingle taqwa with fatwa. Also, I was told by a reputable Mufti who dealt with them on an issue, that there is only one person behind that (The Majlis) organization.

Now if I have been misinformed, then please do let me know. We scholars here at Sunniforum do not agree in the manner how questions have been answered on that site. Look at the first paragraph which you posted:

>>>>Even if this word was not the name of a Greek goddess, it will still be prohibited for Muslims to wear such garments on account of the factor of Tashabbuh Bil Kuffaar (emulating the non-Muslims). It is haraam to imitate non-Muslims or to adopt any of their superfluous practices. When there is no need for a practice which the kuffaar had originated, then even if it has no shirki meanings, it is not permissible to adopt it.

Think deeply on the above statement. In other words you can't wear anything which the non-Muslims wear and they have originated many things. Who came out with the car? Do you have to use a car? I could pose so many examples....but.....

gtg....in a rush....Br. Haqq, would you mind telling me how many people are behind The Majlis?

sincerely,
nazim

[Gajji]

Little question: what does "Sidi" mean?

[VeiledOne]

This tone seems to be disturbing me :frown:


I don't know why sunnipath's deobandism is being defended here.
Its really not about who is deobandi here.

I also find it disrespectful when we belittle scholars just because we may not agree with their fatwa....
I think at a larger scale, can't we all just get along? We create these big divisions over small issues..

As for the stance on Nike being permissible to wear or not, different views from various scholars have been stated here. No one is forcing anyone to follow any ONE ruling, but its good to have different view points here without putting down others, please. =)

[Travelleress]

This tone seems to be disturbing me :frown:


I don't know why sunnipath's deobandism is being defended here.
Its really not about who is deobandi here.

I also find it disrespectful when we belittle scholars just because we may not agree with their fatwa....
I think at a larger scale, can't we all just get along? We create these big divisions over small issues..

As for the stance on Nike being permissible to wear or not, different views from various scholars have been stated here. No one is forcing anyone to follow any ONE ruling, but its good to have different view points here without putting down others, please. =)

As salaamu 'alaykum,

I completely agree dear sister. There really is no need for comments like some of the ones above.

We can all read the different fatawa given by the Respected Mufti's - I'm sure the questioner can now decide for himself whether or not to wear Nike. Can the thread now be closed or must we move into a my 'ulema against yours debate?

May Allah forgive and guide us.

Wasalam.

[ahsanirfan]

Tsk Tsk. Scholar vs Scholar... how low can you get?

all i can say is... if you havent travelled the world then your mum is the only cook as far as you are concerned...

[Alhumdulillah]

May Allah forgive and guide us.

Ameen. If I have offended anyone please do forgive me. May Allah Ta'ala forgive me if I have written or said anything wrong.

At the end of the day, the superiority of the Ulema over the non-Ulema like me, is like the superiority of the light of the moon over the light of the stars. Let us respect and love all the Ulema.

Let us please close this thread.

Wasalaam.

[Mossy]

Aw man. Another thread bites the dust.

I'll sum up the answer: depends.

It's not haram under Maliki usul afaik :)

I would also point out that while some of us aren't scholars, others of us are (hint: scholar tag under name).

Br Haqq - could you pm Sh Mangera (eTeacher) the reply to his questions? Jazakhs.

[thread temp reopened for 1 reply]

[haqq]

:salam:



Also, I was told by a reputable Mufti who dealt with them on an issue, that there is only one person behind that (The Majlis) organization.

Now if I have been misinformed, then please do let me know.

This is not correct. I think what people misunderstand is that Mufti A.S. Desai is the most Senior out of all of the Majlisul Ulama. I personally know some `Ulema who are part of the Mujlisul Ulama. And even if it were 1 person, he is one of the most senior Ulama in South Africa who is more then enough qualified to issue verdicts.


>>>>Even if this word was not the name of a Greek goddess, it will still be prohibited for Muslims to wear such garments on account of the factor of Tashabbuh Bil Kuffaar (emulating the non-Muslims). It is haraam to imitate non-Muslims or to adopt any of their superfluous practices. When there is no need for a practice which the kuffaar had originated, then even if it has no shirki meanings, it is not permissible to adopt it.

Think deeply on the above statement. In other words you can't wear anything which the non-Muslims wear and they have originated many things. .

I believe what they are trying to say is that 'Nike' is a trade mark of show and fashion. Most kuffaar wear nike clothing because of (1) good advertising (2) name brand (3) style (4) quality. Now alot of nike clothing have their logo which is pretty much obvious on every piece of clothing/gear. WHY??? For SHOW. Since, it's a trademark of the Kuffaar to wear clothing which have their name/logo in a place where everyone call tell it's a Nike shirt, the Majlisul Ulamas Fatwaa is based on that. We would be imiating their style.


Who came out with the car? Do you have to use a car? I could pose so many examples....but.....

They have answered this part in the second paragraph:


On the otherhand, if there is a need, then it will be permissible to adopt such a practice. Thus, the names of months and days are permissible inspite of their connotations of shirk. In mentioning the days by these names, the factor of imitation or emulating the kuffaar is furthest from our minds. These names are mentioned out of necessity in the same way as we use modern products of technology manufactured by the kuffaar. Since these products are necessary, the question of emulation does not apply. But in the matter of garments, eating styles, customs, and any other sphere of life it will not be permissible to adopt kuffaar ways, methods and fashions when these are not in the category of need.

You can contact them directly for clarification.


gtg....in a rush....Br. Haqq, would you mind telling me how many people are behind The Majlis?

I would not be able to give you an exact number. For an exact number, you may write to them directly so that you can verify what you have heard from others.

Forgive me if I have said anyting improper.

:salam:

[Mossy]

K, thats that sorted. Nite people.

Further discussion/debatin' via pm or open another thread on one of the subtopics on this here thread.