FatwaSarawakSocial & Contemporary Issues
Kemusykilan tentang permainan video game
Do magic or superpower elements make a video game forbidden, and can playing such games amount to shirk?
Short answer
Playing video games is permissible by default as long as nothing in them leads to prohibition.
A reference, not a fatwa. First sentence of the summary below — read the original fatwa and consult your state authority before acting.
- Authority
- Sarawak State Mufti Department
- Date
- Status
- Opinion (irsyad)
- Series
- Irsyad (Koleksi Kemusykilan Agama)
- Topic
- Social & Contemporary Issues
No evidence of gazettement in the source — this is not a gazetted fatwa.
Summary
Playing video games is permissible by default as long as nothing in them leads to prohibition. Magic or superpower elements do not make a game forbidden and do not cause the player to be judged as committing shirk, since they are meant purely as entertainment without belief in them. A game may become forbidden if it involves rituals of other religions, extreme addiction, or neglect of obligatory duties.
Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.
Hukum asal bagi sesuatu perkara termasuk bermain video game adalah diharuskan selagi tiada unsur-unsur atau perkara-perkara yang boleh membawa kepada pengharamannya.
Read the full fatwa on the Sarawak website (new tab)
How to cite
Cite the original fatwa and its authority. Rujuk Fatwa is only where you found it.
Sarawak State Mufti Department. “Kemusykilan tentang permainan video game”, 4 September 2024. https://muftinegeri.sarawak.gov.my/web/subpage/irsyad_list/#2024-09-04-kemusykilan-tentang-permainan-video-game. Found via Rujuk Fatwa: https://rujukfatwa.com/en/fatwa/ruling-video-games-magic-elements-shirk/