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Fatwa CenterA Sri Lankan Muslim supporting the Pakistani cricket team
Question
I am a Sri Lankan but i'm supporting Pakistan cricket team when they are playing with sri lankan also. The main reason i support them is I like them and they are muslims. But some of my relation are telling it is not allowed to support when Pakistan & Sri Lanka are playing because Sri Lanka is your mother land.
Kindly advise me what I want to do on this. Is islam not allowed to support?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
We have already issued Fatwa 83673 clarifying the ruling on cricket game and its Islamic conditions.
As regards loving the Pakistani team and supporting it because it is a Muslim team even when they play against the Sri Lankan team, then this proves the truthfulness of your belief, that you love and hate, and have allegiance and enmity according to your religion and your Islam; this is indeed a praiseworthy matter because the Prophet said: “The best bond of faith is to love for the Sake of Allaah and hate for the Sake of Allaah.” [Ahmad]
This is, in principle, but we would like to draw your attention to the fact that it is not permissible to lose time in supporting this team or any other team because time is the capital of the Muslim and he should exploit it in what benefits him in his worldly life and in his Hereafter.
In general, supporting sport teams has many disadvantages among which:
1- Loving the dissolute people, being kind to them, glorifying them and being an ally to them. This is evident from your relatives who objected to your loving the Pakistani team and ordered you to support the team of your country even though they are not Muslims.
2- Neglecting the affairs of the Muslims and not being concerned with their matters.
3- Abandoning some religious obligations and being prevented from the mention of Allaah and from the prayer.
4- Spoiling the social relations and cutting ties with kinship because of being fanatic to the different teams.
5- Giving a bad example for the children and the Muslim youth.
Therefore, due to these disadvantages, the Muslims should avoid supporting teams and exploit their time in things that benefit them in their worldly life and their Hereafter.
Allaah Knows best.
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