Islamic View on Football

[maymunah]

In the UK Football is a religion. Guys will change their wedding date to attend matches, Husbands will miss their wife's labour for it, they'll neglect their children for it, they'll waste money on tickets even if the family are struggling. They'll sit and cry when their team loses a match, and take it out on those they love. They'll have arguments with the wife if she doesn't let him watch the footy channel. The sport itself isn't haram, but the fanaticism that goes with it can't be halal can it?

[Shaykhs-Pir Sahib]

In the UK Football is a religion. Guys will change their wedding date to attend matches, Husbands will miss their wife's labour for it, they'll neglect their children for it, they'll waste money on tickets even if the family are struggling. They'll sit and cry when their team loses a match, and take it out on those they love. They'll have arguments with the wife if she doesn't let him watch the footy channel. The sport itself isn't haram, but the fanaticism that goes with it can't be halal can it?

this is so true. i have seen aspects of this with my own eyes.

jazakillah - interesting to see the sister's viewpoint - that is exactly what i wanted to say also, but i'd rather a sister have stated it.

[salahuddin]

sports is fine... definitely making onself fit and healthy is islamically recommended. but quite clearly the culture associated with football, american footbal, baseball, basketball is not only the playing itself....

That, for me, is the crucial point - it's the culture associated with sports that's problematic and if it's difficult for someone to disassociate oneself from the influences of the sport's culture it may be better to leave the sport too - it extends to sports other than football though.

Similar to yourself I used to be an enormous fan, but I've tempered my affection and time towards football as I found it unhealthy and, as we get older, senses of priorities change!

However, there are a lot of aspects within football, and probably other sports, which are very beneficial faculties to develop - what's important is teaching these aspects and recognising them for what they are, rather than soaching or playing simply for the sake of winning or the desire of a lifestyle.

[noor]

i am a girl and i used to be mad about football not so long ago. i still follow footy sometimes but nowadays the interest is minimal. i think as someone said football has really become a religion over here. it's sad to see that muslim youth (guys in particular), waste all their time talking about footballers, watching clips of them and generally admiring their lifestyle and behavior. my brothers can have a debate about footy for hours on end defending their favourite players etc sometimes they even start fighting over them!!!
the muslim youth are so engrossed in football that they don't have time for anything else.
i'm not saying no to football, its good for exercise, but there is a limit to everything. but in this country this football culture is ruling everyones life. we've gone overboard. its really sad to see that. we should be spending our lives trying to copy the Prophet , not some footballers who dont care one jot about you.

[islamonline]

Strongly Recommend y'all listen to the talk by Shaykh Sulaiman Mullah - The Ideal Role Model

[Pr1nce]

Theres nothing wrong with the sport per se, its just if you go overboard with it. Like the sister said, if you change your wedding date or neglect your wife just to watch a football match then thats just plain foolish.

Even though I believe that the wages that footballers earn are absolutely ridiculous and that their lifestyle off the pitch is awful theres nothing wrong with admiring their footballing ability rather than their character. Thats why there should be a differentiation between a footballer's ability and his character/personality.

I personally like football and don't see anything harmful with it as long as it doesn't turn obssessive or cause a negative impact on one's deen.

Allahu Alim

[Ansari]

This book called "Islam and Sport" discusses many evils of sports:

'
http://www.azharacademy.com/Scripts/...?idproduct=657

It seems you can read the book online: http://www.islamsa.org.za/library/bo..._and_sport.htm


Some interesting chapters:

ISLAM AND SPORT
CHAPTER 4
http://www.islamsa.org.za/library/bo...d_sport_04.htm

CHAPTER 5
The Muslim and 'Modern Sport'
http://www.islamsa.org.za/library/bo...d_sport_05.htm

[daaiyah_ilallaah]

salaams....lots of other work has kept me away from the forum for a few days.....very interesting topic ehre..an important one too....i myslef was thinkin of starting a thread on this discussion..but someone did it for me!...

Although not living in england i was crazy about football prior to my going to darul-uloom....i had a separate file just to recor all of man utd's records....i would keep whole season fixture and record every week what the score etc was in my file......i would watch evry televised match.....but after i went to daurl uloom ofcourse i lost intetrest because there was no way of following footy within the four walls of my madrasah!......
now that am back....i do read sportsa pages in newspapers and online....but the fanatism is not there...i dont watch any matches etc....infact i keep askin myself if just reading about it is a waste of time?.....even if it may be fine i feel that it shouldnt be the way of aalim?....
i have lots of family in england and i know how pethetically crazy they are about footy....i know this couple...husband supports liverpool and wife man utd...if man utd lose the poor husband doesnt get food!!!.....

my personal view is that if ur playing it in moderation it could be praiseworthy as islam encourages exercise/fitness....but there is no way i can say that it's okay to be crazy about these various football clubs and players...who as someone said dont give two hoots about u!!!.....i know a liverpool fan who even makes dua that stevie g get hidaayat!!!!.....well it's not wrong to pray for ppl to get hidaayat but it's obivous where this dua is cumin from!!!......
Our life is too short and being fanatic about such frivolous things is not the way of a muslim.....we have things to achieve during our short stay in this transit lounge...and football is just another deception of shaytaan...luring us to waste our precious moments....i know lots of people..who are veyr religious but they will watch sports with such great interest thinkin there si nothin wrong with it....thats why all the more i feel shaytaans deceiving us big time coz many ppl dont even think there's anything wrong with it!!!

[islamonline]

interesting.. i never imagined sisters would take or have taken much interest in football;

Sorry; maybe its because am from a different area..

[sunflower]

hmm.. i never imagined sisters would take or have taken much interest in football;

Sorry; maybe its because am from a different area..

assalaamu alaikum
Maybe because sisters dont publicise it as much as brothers.......besides its not very islamic for a sister (or brothers for that matter) to be sitting for 90 minutes watching inappropriately dressed men.