Fatwa: # 22403
Category: Financial Transactions
Country: Malaysia
Date: 24th September 2012

Title

Is the following online internet game permissible?

Question

Assalamualaikum.

I've been playing an online internet game about people working and developing themselves. In that game, we can work to get virtual game money. The wage of working that we got is according to our health. If our health is 100% we will get 100% wage. But if our health is 50%, we will only get 50% wage.

To improve our health, we have 2 choices. The first choice is ti rest. This will gain health slowly. But the second choice is to drink "wine" in that game. By drinking wine, we will gain health fast.

My question is, is it HARAM to drink that virtual game wine? I ask this because in this game, we have the ability to convert the virtual game money into real money. I fear that the money is HARAM if I drink that virtual wine. Jazakumullah.

Answer

Answer:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

The information regarding the online internet game that you have provided is unclear, vague and ambiguous.

Kindly provide the following information regarding the online internet game in reference:

1. URL link of the online internet game

2. What is meant by “Virtual Wine”?

3. What is meant by “Virtual Game Money”?

4. Detailed explanation of the transactional mechanisms and structure

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Ismail Desai,
Student Darul Iftaa
Durban, South Africa

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

 

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