Is Worldbuilding Haram?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
Is Worldbuilding that involves mythologies, societies, cultures, religions, and different species haram. Some say fiction itself is completely haram, but no explicit evidence from the Quran and hadith is given other than “blocking the means.” I would like to know about it as I see this as a very beneficial and incredibly creative process that helps better understand your world.
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question.
Worldbuilding is the process of creating an imaginary world, often for a fictional story or a game. It can involve aspects such as history, geography, culture, religion, technology, and magic.
It will be impermissible to create and involve oneself in the building process of religion, magic, etc. One issue is creating fictional religions or gods within your world, which may be considered as shirk or associating partners with Allah Most High. This could be seen as disrespecting the Oneness of Allah Most High and His exclusive right to be worshipped.
One should keep the following in mind:
- You should avoid creating any characters or entities that have attributes or powers that only belong to Allah Most High, such as creating, sustaining, or destroying life.
- Another issue is neglecting your religious obligations or other duties when engaging in this hobby, such as missing prayers, fasting, charity, etc. You should not let your passion for Worldbuilding distract you from your worship and obedience to Allah Most High.
- You should also avoid anything that contradicts the teachings of Islam or promotes evil and falsehood in your world.
- If you are unsure about the permissibility of any aspect of your Worldbuilding, you should consult a reliable scholar who can advise you.
I hope this helps you understand some potential issues related to Worldbuilding. May Allah bless you and guide you to what pleases Him, amin. [Rada al-Haq, Fatawa Darul ‘Ulum Zakariyya]
I would like you to go through the valuable answers and links below. You will receive guidance and direction, in sha’ Allah.
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I pray this helps with your question.
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally trained scholar who has studied in the UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, and Turkey. He started his early education in the UK. He went on to complete the hifz of the Quran in India, then enrolled in an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied the secular and ‘Aalimiyya sciences. He then traveled to Karachi, Pakistan. He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for several years. He has taught hifz of the Quran, Tajwid, Fiqh, and many other Islamic sciences to children and adults onsite and online extensively in the UK and Ireland. He taught at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK, where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences. He currently resides in the UK with his wife. His interest is a love of books and gardening.
