I love football (soccer). I play against/with my friends as well as watch the professional teams in the world. So, over the years, I have developed certain feelings (not in any way sexually as I am a male too) for some players in this professional sport – Feelings means to imitate what they do in the matches on my own football experience. I would try to play, how such players play, against my friends.
I have admired these players for as long as I can remember. But I never admired them more than I would a human being. I appreciated and loved what they did/do.
I have always known that idolizing is indeed one of the worst sins to be made by humans.
So my questions are: How is “idolizing” defined in Islam? And is what I am doing anything close to “idolizing” as in the term mentioned in Islam?
My allah (swt) forgive us, Muslims, for our sins. Amen
akhi, I don't know if your admiration for these players is a form of idolization but it is better to remind ourselves that there is danger it can lead to it. For example, some people wear their favourite team scarf as a lucky charm believing it will make them win. This is shirk similar to some muslims believing their saints (peers) intercede on their behalf leading them to pray to them. Na udhu billah! Hence we must take care in the adoration of others and in wanting praise for ourselves as bothways it leads to pride and as you can see in sufi practices to shirk.
The Prophet (saw) delivered a sermon saying, 'O People, fear shirk for it is more hidden than the creeping of an ant.' And when asked, 'How do we avoid it when it is more hidden than the creeping of an ant, O Messenger of Allah?' He replied, 'Say, O Allah, we seek refuge in You from knowingly committing shirk with you and we ask Your forgiveness for what we do not know about.' (Ahmad and at-Tabraanee)
We must remind ourselves that praise is for Allah alone. Allah is the Glorified and Praiseworthy. Whatever we admire in others is from Allah alone. Whatever they admire in us, is from Allah alone. Allah created us from dust. The very dust we walk on. We are not great enough to handle pride and we have nothing to be proud of. Pride belongs to Allah.
Abu Hurayrah quoted Allah's Messenger (saaw) as saying: "Allaah, Most Great and Glorious said: Pride is My cloak, and greatness is My robe, so whoever competes with Me, with respect to either of them, I shall cast him into Hell" (Saheeh Muslim, vol. 4 #6349, Sunan Aboo Dawood, vol. 3 #4079)
I'd would like to recommend you read, 'The Fundamentals of Tawheed' by Abu Aminah Bilal Philips. It will answer your questions and provide you with a clear knowledge on all matters of shirk, inshaAllah.
You're wasting your time. Allah did not create us on earth to play.
"Our Lord! Thou createdst not this in vain. Glory be to Thee! Preserve us from the doom of Fire. (191) Our Lord! Whom Thou causest to enter the Fire: him indeed Thou hast confounded"
Lo! I suffer not the work of any worker, male or female, to be lost. Ye proceed one from another. So those who fled and were driven forth from their homes and suffered damage for My cause, and fought and were slain, verily I shall remit their evil deeds from them and verily I shall bring them into Gardens underneath which rivers flow - A reward from Allah. And with Allah is the fairest of rewards. (195,Ali Imaran)
I don't see anything wrong if you like football and want to be a professional football player.
You can learn how pro footballer play, and also nothing wrong if you imitate their technique. But don't ever imitate their personalities, because you must always be yourself. Don't ever say "I want to play football like Lionel Messi" or "I want to be a professional player like Zlatan Ibrahimovic" but you must tell yourself "I want to play football as myself".
I am not scholar, but I think admiration is allowed in Islam if this admiration doesn't through the limit like a singer fan who cry while call the idol's name in singing show.
And, for prevent idolizing, you must switch your admiration from 'how they are' to 'how they play'. Focus on their football technique.
the other day i began talking about messi with one of my brothers, and he felt i was complimenting him waaaaay too much and he just said "NEVER RESPECT THOSE WHO DONT BELIEVE IN ALLAAH!".
i thought about what he said later, his worry was im spending too much time on the non-muslims (for real i shouldnt spend a single second on them) where i should be concentrating on the amazing sahabi's/tabieen/scholars etc and complimenting them - recalling their great feats !
so now i stopped watching football (seriously, might watch a highlight now and then rarely but not a full match) and i just concentrate on islamic literature.
Lifes better that way
hope that helps bro assalamu alaikum
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My tears testify that i have a heart
yet i feel me and shaytan never part
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Bro, i suggest you dont get to involved, if its matter of matching you fav team, then watch them, but dont do so much that you fall into depression if they dont win the league etc etc. At the end of the day, football is a waste of time. 22 men trying to kick a ball into a net. p.s i used to be a BIG fan before Audubillah and ill end with telling about a conversation took place at work place couple weeks back involved,......
"how ronaldo was god of football until he joined real"
There's a hadith of the Prophet pbuh where he stated that a person will be with whom he loves on the Day of Judgement. As someone already said, don't imitate their personalities, incase it'll distract you from Islam somehow.
You're wasting your time. Allah did not create us on earth to play.
"Our Lord! Thou createdst not this in vain. Glory be to Thee! Preserve us from the doom of Fire. (191) Our Lord! Whom Thou causest to enter the Fire: him indeed Thou hast confounded"
Lo! I suffer not the work of any worker, male or female, to be lost. Ye proceed one from another. So those who fled and were driven forth from their homes and suffered damage for My cause, and fought and were slain, verily I shall remit their evil deeds from them and verily I shall bring them into Gardens underneath which rivers flow - A reward from Allah. And with Allah is the fairest of rewards. (195,Ali Imaran)
See this verse. This is how you spend your time.
MAY PEACE OF ALLAH BE UPON YOU
Sister while i accept that Allah didnt create us on this earth to play .. i do argue that playing is necessary. Recreation in one form or other is necessary for us right ? some talk to others , some play , some sleep . I don't see anything wring in playing unless you are playing at the cost of prayer
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akhi, I don't know if your admiration for these players is a form of idolization but it is better to remind ourselves that there is danger it can lead to it. For example, some people wear their favourite team scarf as a lucky charm believing it will make them win. This is shirk similar to some muslims believing their saints (peers) intercede on their behalf leading them to pray to them. Na udhu billah! Hence we must take care in the adoration of others and in wanting praise for ourselves as bothways it leads to pride and as you can see in sufi practices to shirk.
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