Yasir Qadhi – Reflections on The FIFA World Cup and It’s Impact

			Today's topic is going to be one of those topics, going to create a little bit of discussion and
inshallah that is the goal. You know, I have a number of friends of mine, they asked me, I said, Why
do you go to these topics that nobody else does? And I say, because I don't like the hypocrisy and
double standards, this is a reality that we are facing. And he needs to be discussed head on whether
you agree or don't agree. Let's begin a discussion. What is this topic I'm talking about? It is the
topic of the current climate today, and the next few days and the next few days and that is FIFA.
		

			Where my other aka FIFA
		

			there's so much discussion going on within our Muslim circles. And youth have come to me I'm not
exaggerating, you would have come to me and asked me specific issues and questions. They read things
they've seen things. So let's have a very frank discussion. If I'm right and hamdulillah if I'm
wrong, let's have a discussion, and we will correct inshallah to other each other. Today's
discussion will center around three points. And again, the goal brothers and sisters is to remove
from the minds of our youth, the sense that our religion is disconnected from reality, to make them
feel a sense of comfort, to remove from them. The technical term is cognitive dissonance. They need
		

			to feel comfortable in their own skins, and to feel pride in who they are. Now, I'm going to discuss
three points. There's much more to be discussed. The time is limited. The first point, young man
came to me said, Sure, I've read fatwas. And seen reputable scholars say that playing these sports
and watching them is haram. And he quoted me a number of famous people just out of respect, I will
not name them because some people are so sensitive. If I say the name, you might think I'm trying to
criticize, no, it is what it is. You can google you will find these photos. Reputable scholars,
right. So there are a number of Rolla ma they say that some of them even said playing is haram. And
		

			actually quite a number of said watching is how long they use the word how long now, I'm not going
to mention by name. But last decade or two decades ago, a very famous scholar wrote an entire
treaties about football. It's called codes of conduct and entire treaties. And he concluded that it
has had on these are senior scholars of various movies more than one by the way. So this isn't just
one strand of Islam, multiple strands and interpretations. You know, in, you know, below the Arab in
the lens of Pakistan, multiple strands, you get my point here. Now, to summarize their contentions.
They bring three points. The first point they say it's a waste of time. And the second point they
		

			say, is that there's always haram around it, you know, music and inappropriate women and whatnot, an
alcohol. And the third point, they say, it's causing division within the OMA on arbitrary lines in
the same country, multiple, you know,
		

			noddy's or clubs are competing with one another, or even within the OMA, you have multiple Muslim
countries. So they're dividing along ethnic lines, and this is how long and they have other points,
but these are the three main ones. To respond to this. The first point, the notion that watching
football is a waste of time.
		

			One can say that there is an element of truth and that you should live more productive lives. I'm
not going to deny this. However, the technical question that needs to be pushed back, when does
wasting time become sinful in the eyes of Allah? That's the technical question.
		

			By the way, for the record, I'm not bragging or boasting, this is my fitrah. I'm speaking to you
having not watched a single game since the beginning of this entire season, literally, but that's
because of who I am not because of any fealty rulings I just don't have an interest in this and I
don't sit down and watch sport any sports is not my habit. I haven't watched a lot I don't remember
the last time I'm not when I say this. I'm not personally bringing in my team quote unquote in the
fifth No, on the contrary, I'm trying to defend a team I don't play for you get my pun intended
here. Right. I don't watch sports because I don't like to. But to say that it is haram is a big
		

			thing. So the first point that they bring it as a waste of time, Jay it when does wasting time
become sinful in the eyes of Allah. If they are fair, and honestly they will have to say when this
person leaves the Waje bots or falls into Mohammed. This is the technical thing that if a person has
supposed to pray instead of praying, he's wasting time it's a sin. Otherwise the max you can say
about wasting time you should not do it. You cannot use the word haram or else every single minute
that we don't do something productive, whether for the dinner dunya it can be called haram and who
amongst us can get to that level. So if you define wasting time to be haram as leaving YG about or
		

			doing Mohamed so then we say if you want to watch sports, you must make sure you stop for the Salawa
you must make sure that you are not purchasing
		

			repeating and how long you must make sure that watching sports does not take away from what is
obligatory like earning a livelihood. If you are not working a job and you are a young man, and
you're supposed to take care of your family, and you're watching and playing games all the time,
then yes, you might say you have now exceeded the limit of wasting time fall into haram. But to
intersperse your daily routine, with a little bit of watching of the football or whatnot, this
cannot be considered a wasting time to the level of how long this is the first point. And by the
way, you will find even amongst the classical odema Some amongst them who understood these types of
		

			playing things that we do, it's human nature. Imam Shafi in particular was very soft on this issue.
It's well known go read his treatises and books and say that even though Musa the student of Abu
Hurayrah, say the Messiah was asked about playing, you know, board games, you know, and he goes, as
long as there's no gambling involved, then there is no sin in it, to say the most as long as no
gambling involved. There's no sin in it. And the Mufti of Nisha Porter of the third century his name
was sightedness or hate. The Mufti of Naisha poor. He was the grand mufti of the city of Naisha. Put
in in Iran. Of course, back then it was Sunni. He said he was asked about playing games, and he gave
		

			a poetic response. I'll say it in Arabic, either syllable Mao luminol. Hassan, was Salah to men and
this Yan for radical Moonstone banal HiLine as long as money is not lost, and Salah is not
forgotten, then these types of playing and merriment will bring about friendships between good
people. So we have within our now you want to find other opinions believe me, you will find also
those opinions. Yes, I'm not denying that they exist. But I'm also saying from the beginning of
time, we find amongst the Sahaba Tabby rune, Tabatha Baron, we find amongst the great Imams we find
them observers, fuqaha and covad. Those who gave some conditions, as long as you're not missing the
		

			Salah, as long as you're not gambling, etc, etc. So there is from the earliest of times, some
concession given by our great giants. This is the first issue. The second issue they say is that
there's always head on with it. There's going to be indecent exposure of our lots of women, there's
going to be humbled and alcohol, there's going to be you know, music and dancing, etc. Again, these
are valid points. We don't want to be associated with these sins. But the response to this is, is it
necessary, every time you watch a match that you were involved in these sins? What if if that were
to come on the screen, you will lower your gaze? What if you do not participate in the parties where
		

			there's humbled and alcohol, so once again, to make watching the sport haram based upon secondary
issues that are not always present, this is a bit of a stretch, we say if you're going to watch,
make sure if something inappropriate comes you and your family lowered the gaze, you should not be
watching something that on the screen. If there's an environment where there's Hummer being served,
why should you be in that environment? So once again, we can avoid the Haram by taking reasonable
precautions. And the third point they bring is that sports causes division amongst the OMA breaking
up people into arbitrary boundaries, even within one country, you will have different clubs or even
		

			the various countries of the Ummah, what if two Muslim countries are fighting, not fighting? What is
it called matching whatever scoring against one another playing one another? Right? What what is
going to happen now you're going to divide the OMA and the responses. Once again you are taking a
kernel of truth and making it a much bigger deal than it necessarily is. Is every single division
haram or is the division that leads to disunity. How wrong is every single division haram clearly
not which are now sure don't talk about it. It's out of tribalism is neutral. If you affiliate to
your tribe without it being more important than the OMA. It is Helen Imam Shafi famously remarked,
		

			lay salmon and also be Yeti and your haber rajulio Alma who it is not nationalism, it is not
factionalism, if a person loves his own poem, that Serbia is when you look down at other people. So
we say to this third point, you have raised a valid potential problem that if the OMA is divided in
this way, and by the way, you're worried about basketball and soccer teams, the Ummah is divided
into 50 plus nation states. That's a far bigger issue, then the basketball and football and soccer
teams over there. And even that they are divided into nation states as I spoken about before. In and
of itself, it might not be positive, but it doesn't have to be negative. If all of the Nation States
		

			cooperate upon good and Taqwa in and of itself. It is not negative. And in our days, by the way,
most of us, myself included, we don't have tribes tribalism is almost gone. And the RIP closest
replacement is the nation state. There is a type of if any,
		

			till we feel to our nation state, and that affinity, if it remains within the hood of the Sharia, it
is halal and permissible. And if it is leading to sectarianism to division, then it becomes haram,
the bottom line for these three points that are raised and this is point number one out of three. So
don't get confused as one A, B and C, you know, we move on to point to the bottom line, if one takes
a conscientious effort to avoid the Haram surrounding the games, and make sure that watching these
games do not interfere with the set up with that which is wajib, then it is very difficult to make
the verdict that watching a sports is haram. However, if you want to be technical, you can say yes,
		

			the wise person benefits from his time to the maximum. Yes, you can say this and there's no question
about this. The wise person is judicious time is limited. And no doubt, you know, 234 or five hours,
you know, is a lot of time a day. But to say It's haram is a big word max that can be said, you
know, it's better to invest in something you know better than this. But in the end, we're all
different levels. Therefore, to conclude point number one of the fatwa being haram, with utmost
gentleness and love and respect, and I know this is gonna cause irritation amongst some, but I stand
by what I say and if you disagree, please come and talk to me. When a fatwa that is given by a
		

			senior scholar, a respected scholar, is neglected by 99% of the ummah. As is the case in this photo
here. Let's be brutally honest here. Which nation is even partially following this fatwa? Which
strand of Islam with utmost love? I say, even the strands that the footwork comes from their own
scholars and the children of those scholars watch these sports. You're telling me that people don't
watch soccer in the Arab lands in the DC land. They don't watch it. Come on. Let's get real here.
Right. Let's get practical here. And I say bluntly, if a fatwa falls on deaf ears to 99% of the OMA,
then something is not adding up with utmost love and respect. So I politely disagree with this
		

			fatwa. And I say rather than just say haram, haram haram, put reasonable conditions that people can
strive to, and you will understand that therefore it will become much more meaningful. This is the
first point in my humble opinion, watching sports is not haram if these conditions are met. The
second point that we see about FIFA and what's going on, is once again this controversy, the
cynicism that is being displayed over the way that the event has been conducted. The cynics say the
critics say all of this billions is being spent for a nation state. And for a sports What if these
billions were spent for fellow steam? What is these billions were spent to feed the hungry. In fact,
		

			I even read online so many people are criticizing the Dawa efforts being done in that country.
billboards everywhere, inviting famous preachers to you know, talk to the crowds. People want to
criticize everything. So many people have knowledge if they were ignorant, I wouldn't say anything.
But people were supposed to know better online, they're posting very cynical put downs, oh, this is
all the show. This is all for show of all of this as a waste of money. Now, again, technically,
they're right. I wish all of these billions worse be spent to feed the poor, I wish. But there's a
difference between idealism and between reality. Whether you like it or not, some country is going
		

			to host this game, whether you appreciate it or not, some land is going to be spending billions and
doing all of this. So if a Muslim land does it actually raises the bar for Dawa, and for the first
time a verse of Quran was recited on the main stage, and for the first time, alcohol is banned. And
for the first time crowds are not going wild and crazy. Women are actually saying we feel safe
coming to this audience to this land, right? For the first time we see some positives, then do you
have to be cynical to every single thing that you see? Can't you just allow some positives? Wallahi
I think it is a problem. When anything that happens you have to find faults with it, I think it is a
		

			problem. I am not saying that it is good to spend all this money, you know on a sports instead of
the full Corolla. But I'm saying I don't get to decide it's being done. So the way that it's being
done is better than the way it's being done anywhere else. At least we can agree to this, right? So
rather than concentrate on the negatives, I say, look at the positives. And you know what we also
have to point out here, how can you ignore the sheer hatred and hypocrisy of Islamophobes around the
world when they're criticizing what's happening? They're criticizing no alcohol. They're criticizing
this country for human rights, and they ignore the human rights of every other country that hosted
		

			FIFA, and they're ignoring so many other problems of the country and this one, all of a sudden,
they're making a big deal. You and I both know they're only doing this out of a hatred of Islam.
Now, again,
		

			Let me be blunt here, oh, cynics or people who find fault with this, if you are so blinded in your
rage, that you cannot see that actual enemies of Islam are hating on what's happening because they
hate Islam. And you would rather side with them to criticize than will lie, I think you have a
blindness of the heart, that you're not really seeing what is going on here, when all of these
superpowers and news media's famous news media's are refusing to broadcast out of a sense of, oh,
we're standing with, you know, this community and the under community and whatnot. Subhanallah you
know, it's fake. And you know, it's hypocrisy, now is the time that sides are being drawn here,
		

			whether you like it or not, there are people who hate the Sharia. And they're on one side, it
doesn't make sense for you to be on the same side as well. So I say to the cynics, open your eyes,
and understand we don't live in an ideal world. Of course, we both agree, if billions were spent on
the foot Cara and Misaki, it'd be more useful to mankind, but I'm not the one spending. And by the
way, again, with utmost respect, gently pushing back, you're criticizing a country that has
trillions of dollars for spending that have you in your own life, cut back every single Israel stuff
that you do every single luxury that you do, and spent it on the full Quran. I mean, fair enough,
		

			you criticize them, have you demonstrated in your own life, every luxury you have gotten rid of?
Well, then if you haven't, you know, then understand not everybody's ideal, and to have somewhere
and good is better than none. So that's my second point of this, that I am not a cynic, I understand
the perspective of the cynics. But I like to see the good. And the final point is sha Allah Allah.
And by the way, again, before we move on, so the irony of the second point again, and we see this
across them seeing so much positive coverage, neutral journalists and neutral media, people and
women and children and families are praising we have never attended a football match more, you know,
		

			respectable and more safe than this one. Isn't this a positive PR for the Shetty. And for for the
implementation of this era? There was an article in The Guardian that said the positives of not
having alcohol. Can you believe that a mainstream newspaper is actually saying there is a positive
here, so look at the good rather than concentrate on the bad. The final point a little bit relevant
for today. And that is should we feel happy when a Muslim country wins?
		

			Once again, you have the cynics Wallahi. I will I would not say this to you if I haven't, if I
haven't known people of knowledge in the western world posting on social media. Perhaps some of you
haven't read these things good for you. But our youth are reading them. These are the drama's of
social media, which is a different bubble than the real world in the real world. 99.9% of the OMA is
celebrating today for a small sports victory. Even I posted a little bit of a joke on my Facebook
and Twitter, okay, it is what it is online. There's a different set of people. They're not popular
in the real world. They're only popular online and they cause drama online. Online, we have certain
		

			people saying, like, basically making Muslims feel guilty. Or once upon a time we had Odyssey and
Yarmouk. And now you guys are rejoicing over grown men in shorts, kicking a ball into a field or
whatever. However, they phrase it that way. Okay.
		

			Odyssey and Yarmouk versus kicking a ball on the field? Do they have a point of validity once again,
perhaps they have a small kernel of truth, from where to where this isn't a panacea. This isn't your
book. This isn't Fatima. This isn't the Battle of hit clean was Salah Medina UB. But guys, we
haven't had a source of is in many fields for a long time. Please, oh, cynics and critics don't
guilt our youth for feeling happy over something that is neutral. Don't bring in the religion to
make somebody feel guilty for something that is overall halal and MOBA. And in fact, I say more than
this, sometimes in some cases is more than more. But there's nothing wrong with feeling a sense of
		

			pride in another Muslim law, nothing wrong, especially when the dynamics is a colonizer versus
colonized. as I post it today, when the dynamics is expulsion versus those that were expelled, there
should be an element of look, no problem. Why do you have to guilt people for something that is so
neutral, and again, you want to bring evidence for this Subhanallah in the time of Makkah, in the
timeframe of Morocco, before the hedgerow. I mentioned this episode multiple times, the Muslims were
being persecuted by the Kurdish. In a land close by the Byzantines were fighting the Sassanids. Now
the Byzantines in the Sassanids have no direct relationship with the Muslims and the Quraysh. But
		

			it's human nature that you form alliances and loyalties. It's human nature that you form a team
aside, and the Quraysh felt a fit
		

			In a teacher, the assassin hits the Persians because they're fire worshippers. And the Muslims felt
affinity with the Byzantines because they had to get up believe in the God of Abraham and Moses. And
the coloration Muslims were debating who's going to win that war. And there's the sense like we all
know that sense of tension, positive tension, negative tension, and the the, the Sassanids one over
the Byzantines, the Muslims felt a little bit deflated. The Muslims felt a little bit sad because
the assassin is word Allah revealed in the Quran if la meme, holy battle room, right, Allah revealed
Quran and then Allah said to them, don't worry, in a few years, you shall be happy with the help of
		

			Allah Subhan basically, Allah cheered them up literally. Don't worry in a few years, something's
going to happen the Battle of button that will make you happy, and on the same day the Byzantines
will also win over the Persians. That's exactly what happened. The battle a brother took place in in
Medina and brother and up north, the Byzantines countered and won on the same day as the assassin is
Allah predicted this and Allah revealed the Quran to console the believers. It's human nature what's
the big deal in this regard? So bottom line conclude with this hadith brothers and sisters have
Allah had this idea it is mind boggling Hadith in Imam Al Bukhari, his book and other but more from
		

			the Imam Al Bukhari narrated this hadith in his book a double move right? So really mind boggling
Hadith listen to this.
		

			One day the Prophet system came amongst the Sahaba in the masjid the NABI and they were
		

			laughing and talking with one another yet to hit the throne where Tada Khun Yanni telling jokes and
laughing, basically having a social gathering. So the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, I
swear by him and whose hands is my soul, if you know what I know, you would laugh little and cry a
lot. Love the victim colleague and what a vacay Tom Kazuhiro, then he went away and the people began
feeling sad and crying. So ALLAH SubhanA wa Tada sent Gibreel to Mohamed and gave him what Hey,
listen to this. Ya Mohamed Lima took new to everybody. Oh, Mohamed Hassan, why are you creating
despair in my servants? This is a Hadith. Imam Al Bukhari, his book and other been more fluid, very
		

			amazing Hadith. The Prophet system sees the Sahaba they're laughing, joking. And the process feels a
genuine understand this we understand. Come on, do something you can't just do you know, save
yourself some Jahannam and flipped they began crying they began feeling very guilty. Allah revealed
to the prophets of salaam Why are you bringing despair in my servants? Lima took me to everybody. So
then he went back to them. And he changed the tone. And he said up Shooto was said did you walk
Haribo be happy, give glad tidings and do your best and come together. Basically, he flipped the
script and changed the tone. And this hadith demonstrates between these two tones, both are Islamic,
		

			but the one of them is more necessary than the other. The what the process of did is not wrong in
the first time. But Allah is saying why are you taking this ultra strict route you're going to bring
despair in the home, you're going to make people lose hope they're not going to they're not going to
feel happy about my Rama and mercy give them glad tidings and that's why this hadith was early in
Medina. That's why later a hadith a very different tone. Yes, you don't want to I sudo Bashir wala
to interfere to make things easy, Don't make things difficult, so on and so forth. So bottom line
brothers and sisters, to be very technical, very technical, there is no doubt that the believer who
		

			has a limited time will maximize the productivity of their time. But for a person of knowledge and a
person of your end to make a generic thing completely haram and make the average Muslim feel sinful
for what the entire globe does. I don't think this is the right way forward. Rather, we put the
conditions we say if you want to do this, make sure you're praying, make sure your gatherings don't
have haram. Make sure you pause when it is time for Salah, make sure no harm is done and make sure
you prioritize other things. And then as long as the other sins for example, nationalism, one that
don't become out of hand, as long as you keep them in check. It doesn't lead to sectarianism. And as
		

			long as you understand to be very true, a win of a soccer game is not going to be the winner of the
OMA. But you know what, it's better than nothing. It's not wrong to feel happy. So okay, but yes,
don't equate it to the Battle of budget. I agree with you. Yes. Okay. Don't say this is Hello, is
Fatima happening? No. But Subhanallah How can you not be happy when the flag of Philistine is
raised? And Philistine is mentioned on the pitch in front of a billion people? How can you be so
narrow minded that you don't see the benefit and head in this? So look at the good make the religion
easy for people give glad tidings and this is the Sunnah
		

			Prophet salallahu idea he was setting up Zack como la Hara
		

			Anjali either
		

			me Ms Dahiya Darcy any one won't tell
		

			me what to feed
		

			the water
		

			fields
		

			for to mimic journey Tansa down to
		

			me down