Q: The Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon Him) said: "The Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hand Muslims are safe." Does this apply to non-Muslims as well?
A: Please be advised, dear questioner, that Islam came as mercy to all of mankind and makes no distinction in this regards between people, regardless of religion, culture, colour or gender. This is why the Quran referred to the Prophetic Mission as being one of Mercy when it said: “And We did not send you (O Mohammed), except as a Mercy to the Worlds.”
Unfortunately, despite the many verses in the Quran and Prophetic example instructing Muslims to treat all of humanity in this spirit of kindness and compassionate mercy, those given to extremism find a way to rampantly misinterpret verses and statements out of context, often fuelled by their own egos and rage.
Muslims, like all people, want peace in their lives, and accordingly we should want peace in the entire world. Islam intends to bring about a state of deep compassionate balance and peace to the world by advocating reverence and tolerance for all of humanity.
Q: Should I allow my child to play violent video games in which you “kill” people?
A: The ruling on playing computer games varies based on the nature of such games. Such rulings may go from being disliked due to the frivolity involved and wastage of time, to being completely prohibited if such games contain blasphemy against religion, or exhibit a glorification of violence and images of a sexually inappropriate nature.
With regards to “killing” people virtually, development studies have shown that repeated exposure to such games not only inculcates violence in children but also severely affects their learning abilities.
Children are given as a trust to their parents. In their primary years, even their play can be used as a source of instruction, and the best of games are those that are aimed at enhancing a child’s intelligence and instilling in them noble virtues that will serve them well later in life.
If you have a question for Awqaf, email newsdesk@thenational.ae with the subject line ‘Fatwa Q&As’.
