What Kind of Entertainment is Allowed in Islam

- ‫ لھو‬according to HK4 is “a means of satisfying the desires of the self which distracts from
higher purpose”
- ‫و لنفسک علیک حق‬
‫ث ٍلخيِ خ‬
َ‫ضتل ٍهعنَ ٍهسبخيِخل ٍاللتخه ٍبخغه لخي ٍخعلمم ٍهويَهيتخخهذهها‬ ‫ وخمنَ ٍالتناَخس ٍمنَ ٍيَلش ختيِرَ ٍهلو ٍاللخديَ خ‬-
‫ي‬ ‫ه ه ه له ه‬ ‫ه ه‬
ٍ [٣١:٦]ٍ ‫ي‬ ‫ب ٍمخه ي‬
‫ك ٍهليلم ٍهعهذا ي‬ ‫يهيزووا ۚ ٍ ٍيأوللهئخ ه‬
- But there are, among men, those who purchase idle tales, without knowledge (or
meaning), to mislead (men) from the Path of Allah and throw ridicule (on the
Path): for such there will be a Humiliating Penalty.

﴾٦﴿
ٍ ٍ
‫خ‬ ‫خ‬
‫ هوإخهذا ٍتيليتيلهلى ٍهعلهليِه ٍآهيَاَتييهناَ ٍهوت لل ٍيملستهلكخ وبا ٍهكهأن ٍ تلل ٍيَهلسهملعههاَ ٍهكأهتن ٍخف ٍأيذينُهيليِه ٍهوقَليورا ۖ ٍ ٍفهيبهششلرهي‬-
ٍ [٣١:٧]ٍ ‫ب ٍأهلخيِمم‬ ‫بخعهذا م‬
‫ه‬
- When Our Signs are rehearsed to such a one, he turns away in arrogance, as if
he heard them not, as if there were deafness in both his ears: announce to him
a grievous Penalty.
- ‫یشھدون الزور‬
‫غ‬
- What is the difference between ‫ لغو‬and ‫?لھو‬
- Heaven is an entertainment from ones lord as well

- You should try to acquire a taste for that type of entertainment which is beneficial to you
as well. Try to develop your higher faculties rather than indulging the lower ones. The
lowest are of course eating, drinking, and those things of a sexual nature.

- You can’t spend all your time praying and fasting. This was disliked by the Holy Prophet
(saw), and it is not possible to continue such a thing.

- Allah has made the day and night for work and rest. Also sleep during the day, means
that you need some rest during the day, a mental break from todays activities.
- Your focus should not on entertainment, but on work. In work there is true happiness,
not from loafing about.

- Holy Prophet (saw) would say to Aisha “O Aisha, provide ease”, while there would also
be times where he would leave at night and offer prayer for many hours. Ratio of work
to play or ease should be skewed significantly to work and worship.

(Bukhari, vol. 8, chapter 27, Hadith 6485, page 267)

(5 Volume Malfoozat, vol. 1, pg. 137)