Computer games that involve elements of Shirk (polytheism)

29-1-2014 | IslamWeb

Question:

I want to play a game called Eve Online.. But in this game the story is something like Humans travel away from earth into space wormhole and found other planets to reside on or something.. they grew and become well off then the wormhole closed leaving them stranded, after wars and a lot of struggles, they have discovered a way to make humans virtually immortal by transferring their mind into a cloned human body before death.. I am not sure if they disbelieved in souls or they also mean souls will be transferred to.. Now I am not sure if this is shirk or just science fiction.. I am really interested in spending 1 or 2 hours a day on this game so I can have a social life.. but if it is Haram I will happily give it up.. My main question is though, Can muslims play games with not seconday elements of shirk as was answered in 188149 but elements of shirk that you MUST do in order to play the game.. (One game I played you had to drop an item on an altar that had a so called Goddess statue next to it in order to fight monsters to become stronger) I regret playing and would also like to know how to repent if I should know. Can you please tell me why and how it is allowed, I would like a detailed answer because I am not too knowledgeable. Also Can I say "it might be said" or the "the author said" before engaging in any material or activity that has haram or shirk material so I am not to blame if it works that way..? Please don't put yourself at any risk by answering my question.. I would like your opinion, if it's risky to answer this question so I can know what to expect.

Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

 

If these games are as you mentioned in the question, then they are based on some false beliefs that involve Shirk (associating partners with Allaah). The first game seems to endorse the belief in reincarnation, whereas the second game seems to be intended to consolidate the doctrine of providing sacrifices to gods as a way of requesting victory. Therefore, it is an obligation to avoid such games and repent from having played them. The conditions of repentance are mentioned in Fatwa 86527.

In general, computer games are like this, hence parents should be aware of this and be careful what their children are playing.

The Fatwa which you referred to clarifies the general Islamic conditions for computer games. So, any game that is in accordance with these conditions, there is nothing wrong with playing it, but if it includes any falsehood or promotes such falsehood, then it is not permissible to play it. We have also clarified in that Fatwa that a Muslim should preserve his time and not waste it in playing, as time is too precious to be wasted without any benefit.

As regards your statement: “it might be said” or “the author said”, then we did not exactly understand what you mean by it and what it refers to, but in general you now know that if a game includes what is forbidden, then it is not permissible to play it under any circumstances, and saying such expressions that are mentioned in the question does not justify playing them and it does not clear one from sin. For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 91710.

Allah Knows best.

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