Is it permissible to open a video game entertainment centre and are such games permissible?

· 8 Rajab 1421 AH1 min readFatwa 1188English
Misc. Fiqh

Question

The question text was not published separately; the title stands in for it.

Is it permissible to open a video game entertainment centre and are such games permissible?

Answer

Video entertainment games have many unIslamic factors in them. Apart from the games having music and pictures which are prohibited, the nature of the games offered, for example, karate, shooting, killing, racing, etc. have a potential of raising one?s emotions, thus having far reaching negative consequences in many aspects of ones life.
Consider the following from the Encyclopedia, 1993-1997 - Microsoft Corp. ?Critics of video games contend that children spend too much time and money on the games and that immersion in the fantasy of video games can have adverse effects on personality maturation. There have also been reports that the flashing graphics can trigger seizures in people who have certain types of epilepsy.?
Therefore, it is also not permissible to open a video game entertainment centre and such games are not permissible to play. The income generated from entertainment video machines will, therefore, not be permissible.

And Allah Ta'ala Knows Best.

Mufti Ebrahim Desai

Answered by
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
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