THE EVIL OF FOOTBALL

Claiming that football was played during the time of Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam), Mufti Sayed Abdul Jalil, commenting on a Hadith, says in his Nikaatud Duraari Volume Five:

“It is permissible to play soccer/football

In Maraaseel Abu Dawud there is a narration stating that Hadhrat Umar saw these people playing football. He said, “lf they were not seen playing football in the time of Rasulullaah then they would have been removed from Madinah.” Anyway, from this, the permissibility of football is established, on condition that it is played whilst remaining within the limits of the Shari’ah and the Satr is covered and no disturbance is caused to the obligations of the Shari’ah. This is because there is an element of exercise in it, which adds weight to the permissibility.

Allamah Shaami also supports this in Kitaab al Hadhr wal lbaaha vol.5 p.28l. From the text of Allaamah Shaami we learn that it is permissible to play soccer if it is done for exercise and to acquire bodily strength. This is on condition that nothing against the Shari’ah is done, like uncovering the Satr, disturbance in the obligations of the shari’ah like Salaah etc. if these things occur, then it will become MakruhTahrimi. If there are many people playing who are free in terms of religion and they mix with unveiled women, then watching it will not be free of Karaahat. And Allaah knows best.”

(End of the Mufti’s dissertaion)

COMMENT

The Mufti is in grievous error. Firstly, the translation of the Hadith is egregiously erroneous. He translates the term al-kurraj as ‘football’. This error is indeed a mind-boggling gaff. The word al-kurraj does not mean ‘football’.

Al-kurraj means a wooden rocking foal (baby horse) which children used to play with. It does not mean a ‘ball’, least of all ‘football’. Nevertheless, despite the error, the Mufti acknowledges the evil of soccer, hence he says:

“The soccer/football of today

However, the soccer of today is only a sport and it has many evils, i.e. opening of the Satr, competing for prizes, intermingling of the sexes, no Pardah etc. On account of this, it is not permissible to watch such soccer, nor is it permissible to play it with these conditions.

A Mufti is supposed to guide Muslims. Assuming for a moment that kurraj refers to a football, then too, it is highly improper, unprofessional and scandalous for a Mufti to introduce detrimental academic technicalities in a fatwa/dissertation on an occasion which will only serve to further entrench the evil, obscenity and immorality in which the masses have degenerated.

The erroneous translation on which he has based his permissibility of haraam football serves to extremely dilute the prohibition which he states in his conclusion. The nafs and shaitaan divert the minds of people from the prohibition to the permissibility in which the nafs derives gratification.

Another serious error committed by the Mufti is his incorrect attribution to Allaamah Shaami. Shami does not mention ‘football’. In Shaami is mentioned the game of polo in which a ball is hit with staffs by persons on horseback. It is grossly erroneous to say that Shaami says that ‘football’ is permissible.

The very concept of soccer conveys sin and vice. Never is football permissible. Furthermore, it is another grievous error to override the explicit Nass which prohibits sport. Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said:

“Every sport of the Mu’min is haraam/baatil…”

There are numerous kinds of physical acts and training for bodily health and strength. The Mufti with his erroneous fatwa opens up a wide gateway for commission of major sins.

In addition to the evil of sin, the haraam soccer sport is responsible for numerous very serious physical injuries. The following is an expert account of such injuries caused by the sport of Iblees.

Soccer is a high-contact sport with a significant rate of injuries, especially involving the knees and ankles. The statistics vary by region, but here’s an overview based on general findings:

Injury Rates

Soccer injury rates generally range from 2 to 19 injuries per 1,000 hours of play. For youth players, the rate is typically lower, around 2–7 injuries per 1,000 hours. However, at the professional level, it can go up to 10–19 injuries per 1,000 hours.

Common Types of Injuries

Knee Injuries: One of the most common injuries in soccer, especially ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) tears, which often require surgery and extensive rehabilitation. ACL injuries are more prevalent among female players, with a rate up to 2–8 times higher than male players in some studies.
Ankle Sprains: The most frequent type of injury in soccer, accounting for approximately 15–30% of all soccer injuries.
Muscle Strains and Tears: Hamstring and groin strains are common, especially in male athletes, and can account for up to 20% of soccer injuries.
Concussions: Although less frequent, head injuries and concussions are becoming a growing concern in soccer, particularly in youth sports.

Injury by Location on the Field

Defensive Players: Often suffer from ankle injuries due to tackles.
Midfielders: Tend to have higher injury rates overall due to their extensive running and involvement in both offensive and defensive play.
Goalkeepers: While they experience fewer injuries overall, they are more prone to hand, wrist, and shoulder injuries.

Gender Differences

Female players have a higher risk of knee injuries, particularly ACL injuries, compared to male players. Differences in anatomy, hormonal factors, and training techniques are thought to contribute to this disparity.

Youth vs. Adult Players

Youth players generally have lower injury severity but are still prone to sprains and strains. However, serious injuries like ACL tears are on the rise, likely due to increasing intensity in youth sports.

In terms of prevention, strengthening exercises, flexibility training, and improved conditioning can help reduce the risk, especially for knee and ankle injuries.

(End of report)

Just a couple of days ago we saw a young Madrasah Ustaadh performing Salaat sitting in a chair. On enquiring, we learnt that while playing soccer his knee ligaments tore. For appeasing his nafs, he indulged in haraam kuffaar sport. Now Allah Ta’ala has punished him with considerable pain in his knee and with the inability of performing Salaat correctly. He is now deprived of making Qiyaam, Ruku’, Sajdah and Tashahhud. He has to undergo surgery, the outcome of which is generally unfavourable. Perhaps for the rest of his life, he will not be able to perform Salaat normally and properly. Furthermore, his knee injury causes considerable hardship in his day’s mundane activities. He should now make ‘shukr’ for all the ‘bounties’ of injury and hardship which Iblees has bestowed to him with his soccer shaitaaniyat.

29 Rabiuth Thaani 1446 – 2 November 2024