3 Reasons Why Pokémon is Not Haram in Islam
C.J Ahmed-18.03.2023
Pokémon is a Japanese video game series and playing such games is not haram in Islam. Islam is a religion that encourages entertainment but unfortunately those who have no knowledge in Islam or modern day technology are of the view that it is haram to play Pokémon.
1. Spreading corrupt beliefs of Shirk and Kufr
The main argument against playing Pokémon is that playing Pokémon will corrupt the belief of a Muslim and make him deviant because it contains statements of Shirk and Kufr. To answer this, we have to understand the argument in the right perspective. Giving blanket fatwas and saying that it is haram does not prove anything. First of all. The person who is guided by Allah cannot be misguided by anyone else. Allah (Swt) says in the Quran:
"And whom Allah guides, there is none that can lead him astray"
(Al-Quran-39:37)
Some will try to say that these movies or dramas contain stories of idols worship, soothsaying, certain things that are forbidden in Islam etc. and by watching such movies or soap operas; a Muslim could get drawn to all these sins. I do agree that many of these films do contain Shirk, kufr and all sorts of deviations but there is a big difference between watching a person worshipping an idol and actually doing it. A Muslim whose aqeada is not sound or his/her Iman is weak can fall prey to such deviations portrayed in a movie but still that depends on the individual and giving a blanket fatwa is clearly wrong.
Narrated by Abu Hurayrah (Rali):
A man asked the Prophet (Sal) whether one who was fasting could embrace (his wife) and he gave him permission; but when another man came to him, and asked him, he forbade him. The one to whom he gave permission was an old man and the one whom he forbade was a youth.
(Abu Dawud-Graded Hasan-Sahih by Albani)
The above hadith is clear proof that forbiddance does not apply to everyone and differs specifically from person to person. There is no evidence in the Quran or authentic hadiths stating that watching something entertaining is haram. If so, then the prophet (Sal) would have forbidden Aisha (Rali) from watching the Ethiopians dancing in the mosques with spears. A person can listen or look at a non-Muslim engaging in idolatry practices without supporting or engaging in it. The evidence is as follows.
Auf b. Malik Ashja'i reported we practise incantation in the pre-Islamic days and we said:
"Allah's Messenger. What is your opinion about it? He said: Let me know your incantation and said: There is no harm in the incantation which does not have Shirk in them are fine"(Sahih Muslim)
If listening or looking at Shirk was forbidden, then the prophet (Sal) would have forbidden the companion but he allowed the incantation to be said to determine whether it was shirk or not. Abu Hurayrah (Rali) narrated:
The people of the Book used to read the Torah in Hebrew and then explain it in Arabic to the Muslims. Allah's Messenger (sal) said (to the Muslims). "Do not believe the people of the Book, nor disbelieve them, but say, 'We believe in Allah and whatever is revealed to us, and whatever is revealed to you.' "
(Sahih Al Bukhari)
In the above hadith, the prophet (Sal) did not forbid the Muslims from listening to what the Jews and Christians were preaching in the Torah or Bible. I advised the Muslims to say 'We believe in Allah and whatever is revealed to us, and whatever is revealed to you.' "
2 The "Wasting Time" Argument
The other vague argument we see to justify why playing Pokémon is haram is that playing Pokémon is a waste of time. Now the question is, in which verse in the Quran or authentic hadith does it say that watching movies is a waste of time? The hadith about wasting time is as follows.
Ibn Abbas reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “There are two blessings which many people waste: health and free time.”
(Sahih Al Bukhari)
The above hadith, it speaks generally about wasting time and you cannot say specifically that watching movies is also a waste of time. Wasting time is what the Quran and the authentic hadiths say what wasting time is and not the personal opinions of someone. Just because watching movies is a waste of time for one person does not mean it is a waste of time for another. If seeking entertainment was a waste of time, then the prophet (Sal) would have forbidden Aisha (Rali) from watching the Ethiopians playing with spears in the mosque. Wasting time is a relative thing for a person to person and Islam nowhere says that watching movies or entertainment is a waste of time or that it is haram. This is what happens when Muslims become puritanical and try to go beyond the understanding of the Sahaba and the Salaf. The Ansar Sahaba are among the most closed companions of the prophet (Sal) and loving them is a sign of faith. The Ansar Sahabah were fond of entertainment and the prophet (Sal) said:
“O Aisha, do you have any entertainment? Verily, the Ansar are fond of entertainment.”
(Sahih Al Bukhari)
If the Ansar Sahaba were so fond of entertainment, then what is wrong with a Muslim loving entertainment?
1.Beware of extremists
Ultra puritanism has crept the Muslim community because they have forgotten to stick to the Quran and the Sunnah as understood by the early generation of Muslims who were the Salafus Saliheen. As a result of various innovators who have started to spread Bidah, shirk and Kufr, the hapless youth have been brainwashed in to believing in rubbish that has no basis in Islam. One such nonsense is the wrong thinking that eating artificial pork is haram in Islam. Nowhere in the Quran or the authentic hadiths does it say that entertainment modes such as playing Pokémon are haram. Islam is a very easy religion and extremism has no place in Islam. The prophet (Sal) said,
“None makes the religion difficult except that it overcomes him. So, aim for what is right, stick to the moderate way"
(Bukhari)
Narrated by Ibn Masud (Rali),
The prophet (Sal) said,
"Beware! The extremists perished," saying it three times."
(Abu Dawud-Graded Sahih by Albani)
From all the evidence in Islam it proves that Islam does not forbid playing Pokémon and there is no place for puritanism or extremism in Islam because Islam is a religion of moderation and ease.
Pokémon is a Japanese video game series and playing such games is not haram in Islam. Islam is a religion that encourages entertainment but unfortunately those who have no knowledge in Islam or modern day technology are of the view that it is haram to play Pokémon.
1. Spreading corrupt beliefs of Shirk and Kufr
The main argument against playing Pokémon is that playing Pokémon will corrupt the belief of a Muslim and make him deviant because it contains statements of Shirk and Kufr. To answer this, we have to understand the argument in the right perspective. Giving blanket fatwas and saying that it is haram does not prove anything. First of all. The person who is guided by Allah cannot be misguided by anyone else. Allah (Swt) says in the Quran:
"And whom Allah guides, there is none that can lead him astray"
(Al-Quran-39:37)
Some will try to say that these movies or dramas contain stories of idols worship, soothsaying, certain things that are forbidden in Islam etc. and by watching such movies or soap operas; a Muslim could get drawn to all these sins. I do agree that many of these films do contain Shirk, kufr and all sorts of deviations but there is a big difference between watching a person worshipping an idol and actually doing it. A Muslim whose aqeada is not sound or his/her Iman is weak can fall prey to such deviations portrayed in a movie but still that depends on the individual and giving a blanket fatwa is clearly wrong.
Narrated by Abu Hurayrah (Rali):
A man asked the Prophet (Sal) whether one who was fasting could embrace (his wife) and he gave him permission; but when another man came to him, and asked him, he forbade him. The one to whom he gave permission was an old man and the one whom he forbade was a youth.
(Abu Dawud-Graded Hasan-Sahih by Albani)
The above hadith is clear proof that forbiddance does not apply to everyone and differs specifically from person to person. There is no evidence in the Quran or authentic hadiths stating that watching something entertaining is haram. If so, then the prophet (Sal) would have forbidden Aisha (Rali) from watching the Ethiopians dancing in the mosques with spears. A person can listen or look at a non-Muslim engaging in idolatry practices without supporting or engaging in it. The evidence is as follows.
Auf b. Malik Ashja'i reported we practise incantation in the pre-Islamic days and we said:
"Allah's Messenger. What is your opinion about it? He said: Let me know your incantation and said: There is no harm in the incantation which does not have Shirk in them are fine"(Sahih Muslim)
If listening or looking at Shirk was forbidden, then the prophet (Sal) would have forbidden the companion but he allowed the incantation to be said to determine whether it was shirk or not. Abu Hurayrah (Rali) narrated:
The people of the Book used to read the Torah in Hebrew and then explain it in Arabic to the Muslims. Allah's Messenger (sal) said (to the Muslims). "Do not believe the people of the Book, nor disbelieve them, but say, 'We believe in Allah and whatever is revealed to us, and whatever is revealed to you.' "
(Sahih Al Bukhari)
In the above hadith, the prophet (Sal) did not forbid the Muslims from listening to what the Jews and Christians were preaching in the Torah or Bible. I advised the Muslims to say 'We believe in Allah and whatever is revealed to us, and whatever is revealed to you.' "
2 The "Wasting Time" Argument
The other vague argument we see to justify why playing Pokémon is haram is that playing Pokémon is a waste of time. Now the question is, in which verse in the Quran or authentic hadith does it say that watching movies is a waste of time? The hadith about wasting time is as follows.
Ibn Abbas reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “There are two blessings which many people waste: health and free time.”
(Sahih Al Bukhari)
The above hadith, it speaks generally about wasting time and you cannot say specifically that watching movies is also a waste of time. Wasting time is what the Quran and the authentic hadiths say what wasting time is and not the personal opinions of someone. Just because watching movies is a waste of time for one person does not mean it is a waste of time for another. If seeking entertainment was a waste of time, then the prophet (Sal) would have forbidden Aisha (Rali) from watching the Ethiopians playing with spears in the mosque. Wasting time is a relative thing for a person to person and Islam nowhere says that watching movies or entertainment is a waste of time or that it is haram. This is what happens when Muslims become puritanical and try to go beyond the understanding of the Sahaba and the Salaf. The Ansar Sahaba are among the most closed companions of the prophet (Sal) and loving them is a sign of faith. The Ansar Sahabah were fond of entertainment and the prophet (Sal) said:
“O Aisha, do you have any entertainment? Verily, the Ansar are fond of entertainment.”
(Sahih Al Bukhari)
If the Ansar Sahaba were so fond of entertainment, then what is wrong with a Muslim loving entertainment?
1.Beware of extremists
Ultra puritanism has crept the Muslim community because they have forgotten to stick to the Quran and the Sunnah as understood by the early generation of Muslims who were the Salafus Saliheen. As a result of various innovators who have started to spread Bidah, shirk and Kufr, the hapless youth have been brainwashed in to believing in rubbish that has no basis in Islam. One such nonsense is the wrong thinking that eating artificial pork is haram in Islam. Nowhere in the Quran or the authentic hadiths does it say that entertainment modes such as playing Pokémon are haram. Islam is a very easy religion and extremism has no place in Islam. The prophet (Sal) said,
“None makes the religion difficult except that it overcomes him. So, aim for what is right, stick to the moderate way"
(Bukhari)
Narrated by Ibn Masud (Rali),
The prophet (Sal) said,
"Beware! The extremists perished," saying it three times."
(Abu Dawud-Graded Sahih by Albani)
From all the evidence in Islam it proves that Islam does not forbid playing Pokémon and there is no place for puritanism or extremism in Islam because Islam is a religion of moderation and ease.