Ash-Shaykh Albany, rahimahullah, was asked the following question:
… هل يجوز لنا مثلا أن نتخذ كرة القدم وسيلة وطريقة لجلب الشباب لاستقطابهم للدعوة إلى الله تعالى كذلك مثلا أن نقيم موائد لأطعامهم وتقديم الشاي لهم بغرض استقطابهم وما إلى غير ذلك من الوسائل؟
Question:
Is it permissible for us to use soccer as a method and a means to attract the youth by it to engage them into dawah. Likewise, for example [is it okay for] us to establish food events to feed them by it and provide them with tea as a means to attract them through the likes of these methods?
لا نرى هذه الوسائل أنه يجوز اتخاذها وسائل دعوة
Answer:
I don’t see that these methods are permissible to undertake as means for dawah…
فإذا جئنا إلى بعض الملاهي التي جدت في هذا العصر من ذلك مثلا كرة السلة كما جاء في السؤال ونحوها كرة السلة والطاولة و و إلى آخره فحسبنا أن نسوغ تعطيها بقصد هو قصد شرعي وهو تقوية البدن أما اتخاذ ذلك وسيلة للدعوة فهذه أولا طريقة أجنبية عن الإسلام فقد مضى على المسلمين هذه القرون الطويلة ولم يعرف فيهم أنهم اتخذوا لهوا ولو جعلنه لهوا مباحا سبيلا في سبيل الدعوة
Therefore, if we were to take a look at some of the recent means of entertainment in this time; for example, basketball as was mentioned in the question along with its likes. Basketball, table tennis, etc. we are sufficed in permitting them under a legislative reason which is to strengthen one’s body. As for taking it as a means for dawah, then this method is something foreign to Islam for verily many centuries have passed upon the Muslims and it hasn’t been known from them that they [the early generations of Muslims] used entertainment – that is if we consider it permissible – as a way to give dawah…
Shaykh Muqbil, rahimahullah, said:
الكرة ليست من وسيلة من وسائل الدعوة ، وما يجعلها من وسائل الدعوة إلا المفلسون
… Soccer isn’t a means for dawah and no one makes it a means for dawah except the Ikhwan al-Muslimoon.
Translated by
AbdulFattaah Bin Uthman
Abu Fajr
Shaikh Al-Albani rahimahullah said:
“The Muslim Brotherhood abandoned the path of the youth of Muhammad sallahu alayhi wa salam by a far, far distance. Their religion is sports, soccer, basketball, and I do not know that there are other ball games. I wish that this was by way of holding fast to the Sunnah and strengthening the body because the Prophet sallahu alayhi wa salam said:
لمؤمن القوي أحب إلى الله من المؤمن الضعيف وفي كل خير
A strong believer is better and is more lovable to Allah than a weak believer,
[Saheeh Muslim no. 2664]
First, it is not from the Islamic etiquette for the Muslim to imitate the disbeliever… it is not from the Islamic etiquette for him to expose his thigh…”
[Taken from Silsilatul-Huda wal-Noor no. 200 as found here]
The Shaikh continues to talk about how this is blind following of the disbelievers and wrong.
Translated by
Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan
