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Fatwa CenterDeveloping computer games with fictional places
Question
Assalaamu alaykum. First of all, I want to thank you for answering my previous question. I am a game developer, and I had a plan to sell my game. I read your fatwa regarding which computer games are halal and which ones are haram. However, I still have questions about it. My game is an educational real time strategy game that teaches and trains the user in Math, Physics, Chemistry, ecology, and business management. It contains problems that are to be solved in order to make the users understand scientific concepts in calculus, mechanical engineering, and business management. In my game, there will be some fictional places (levels) and units (buildings, trucks, trains, heavy equipment), but the units that consist of buildings, like a factory, a farm, a transportation (hub), and a plantation, will imitate those that we see in real life. I have the following questions:
- Is this type of game permissible for me to sell? If not, then please give me advice in order to make it halal.
- Is it permissible to sell education games that contain fictional places like an arbitrary farm, a city, lakes, oceans, and so on that are based on reality? Considering that the purpose is to train the user to calculate the solution of problems based on as much conditions possible.
- Is it considered helping others in sin if I sell my products to Steam, Amazon Appstore, Google PlayStore, and Apple Appstore?
I have read your fatwa No. 296938 (about selling items on websites containing violations of the Shariah, which indicates that there is no harm in engaging in buying from and selling to non-Muslims within what is lawful), but in the other fatwa, you said that it is impermissible to work in an interest-based company or performs any other activites that are prohibited in Islam since it was considered helping in sin. Please enlighten me. May Allaah reward you well.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
You should know that our conceptualization of such issues is deficient given that it is far from our field of specialization, and our answer is based on the information which the questioner provides us with. It is well-known that an accurate judgment on any matter is based on an accurate conceptualization of it.
What you mentioned in the question does not seem to include anything that entails deeming this game prohibited. Hence, we say that there is no harm in developing and selling those games and programs with the specifications which you mentioned, and there is no harm in selling them in general or in selling them to websites that include other contents. This is different from helping others to deal with usury or to sell prohibited items. When you sell them lawful items, you are not helping them to deal with usury or sell prohibited items. We hope that our reply is clear and sufficient for answering your question.
Allah knows best.
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