15 March, 2022
Q
Is playing games where you kill other players haram?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
Answering your question, Sheikh Mustafa Umar, President of California Islamic University, states:
Games, in general, can be fun and entertaining. They can be a means of relaxation. There are two problems when it comes to gaming:
- It can become addicting, and people keep playing while neglecting their homework or other important tasks.
- Violent games can cause the player to become desensitized to violence. This can make a person not care about real people who are being killed in the world, since they are so used to seeing killing.
If these two harms are avoided through proper discipline and a balanced lifestyle then it is fine to play these games.
Almighty Allah knows best.