Assalamualaikum Respected Mufti Saheb Is it haram to make a living playing soccer or other sports?Jazakallah Khair.may Allah reward you for your good work.

Any past time games whether on video, computer, etc. falls in the category%0D%0Aof Lahw and La%E1b (useless and pasttime) hence, not permissible.%0D%0A%0D%0AAllah Ta%E3la - the Creator of our Universe - declares in the Noble Qur%E3n,%0D%0A"I have not created Man and Jinn except for (the purpose) of worship."(Qur%E3n%0D%0A51:57)%0D%0A%0D%0AWhen our Maker and Rabb whom we, the creation are accountable to, invariably%0D%0Astates our purpose in this world then our objective will be just that%0D%0Adespite any human being thinking otherwise. No creation can change this%0D%0Adirective.%0D%0AHaving said that, the Noble Qur%E3n on no less than five places warns about%0D%0Athis worldly life - that this life is but a sport and a past-time. The two%0D%0Awords used are 'lahw' and 'la%E1b' which the Jurists have defined as games,%0D%0Asports, and past-times. Basically 'lahw' and 'la%E1b' do not bring any benefit%0D%0Aand together takes one away from the remembrance of Allah Ta%E3la and the%0D%0AHereafter.%0D%0A%0D%0ARasulullah (Sallallaaahu %C1layhi Wasallam) said, "Every game of man is Haraam%0D%0Aexcept three: a man plays with his wife, breaking (training) one's horse and%0D%0Aarchery."%0D%0A%0D%0AIn another Hadith, Ibn Umar (Radhiyallaahu %C1nhu) reports that Rasulullah%0D%0A(Sallallaaahu %C1layhi Wasallam) said, "Teach your children swimming and%0D%0Aarchery."%0D%0A%0D%0AJurists have commented that a sport%2Fgame :%0D%0Aa) which has no religious Or worldly benefit is not permissible;%0D%0Ab) which has worldly or religious benefit is subjected to the following%0D%0Aconditions:%0D%0Ai) that none of it should be contrary to the Shari%E1h%0D%0Aii) that it (the sport%2Fgame) should not resemble the sport%2Fgames%0D%0Aspecifically identified with other religious communities e.g. Yoga; which%0D%0Amay have some worldly and%2For religious benefit but includes an%0D%0Aimpermissible act e.g. wrestling (exposing the awrah).%0D%0A%0D%0ADue to the many evils in contemporary sports, it is not permissible to earn%0D%0Aone's living through that.%0D%0A%0D%0Aand Allah Ta'ala Knows Best%0D%0A%0D%0AMufti Ebrahim Desai%0D%0AFATWA DEPT.%0D%0A