Allowable Entertainment in Islam

Question

What are the valid forms of personal and group Entertainment allowable in Islam. Does Islam forbid all forms of Entertainment ?

Of course the answer to this question should begin with the Islamic definition of "Entertainment"

Answer 1

First, in Islam, there is what is allowed and then there is what is not.

The distinction between halaal and haraam are clear and then there are those doubtful matters.

So when it comes to entertainment, it is allowed as long as it does not break any Islamic rules.

For example, in some cultures, the elderly women sit in a circle and smoke. In some countries/cultures, people go to a bar and get drunk. Some go for head-banging with music in the background.

So the question is generally broad and thus the answer has to also be generic.

If you want specific clarification, I think you should bring up an example of what you think is a form of entertainment.

Here are some allowed ones:

1. Women beating the duff.
2. Horse-riding
3. archery
4. swimming
5. playing with your kids

Forms of entertainment that are disallowed in Islam:

1. Where there's music
2. Where wine (intoxicants) are used
3. Where men and women mix freely
4. Where things that are done go against Islam in the form of kufr/shirk.

Answer 2

In short words, Everything is permissible, which is not Explicitly declared forbidden or disliked. So, all forms of entertainment are permissible, if they lie in the bounds of Halal in Quran and hadith. There are million forms of entertainment, so its not possible to write them all here one by one, so the above rule apply to all forms of entertainment..

And islam does not dis-allow entertainment, but only allows those, which are not outside bounds of islam