Fatwa

Watching Football

Question

1. Is it permissible to watch the World Cup Games on live TV?
2. Is it permissible to openly invite people, children, etc and host World Cup watching events at masaajid, madaris, Islamic centres, etc.
3. ⁠What’s the Hukm of following football to the extent of being a fan of football, and does it fall under الرضاء بالكفر كفر?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

1. Football in of itself is permissible to play and to watch others play. Putting aside the difference of opinion that exists amongst contemporary Ulama regarding the permissibility of videography itself, professional footballers do not properly cover their awrah, and it is not permissible to look at another person’s awrah. Similarly, a televised match often pans to the crowd which will have non mahrams with exposed awrah, and this too is not permissible to see.
2. It is not permissible
3. Football is not kufr. Following football would also not be kufr. It is quite a leap to label a fan of football as someone who is happy with kufr i.e. رضا بالكفر. Kufr is a very strong word which cannot be thrown around haphazardly. Pushing people out of the religion requires concrete grounds, not emotion.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Mufti Bilal Pandor

Concurred by
Mufti Muhammad Patel

Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah
Lusaka, Zambia

www.daruliftaazambia.com