Digital games in fiqhi aspects

Games and entertainment are needs inherent in human nature, sought to be fulfilled through various means across different eras. Islam, as a religion transcending ages, encompasses principles and fundamentals capable of addressing needs arising in every period and society, embodying dynamic solutions. Islam, being highly compatible with human nature, acknowledges the need for games and entertainment, delineating necessary boundaries and permitting such activities within certain limits. Among the recognizable means of entertainment of our time, digital games stand out as a primary recourse for meeting the entertainment needs of users of all ages. As in every aspect of our lives, numerous developments in the digital gaming world bring forth new issues. Our thesis titled 'The Juridical Aspects of Digital Games in Terms of Fiqh' aims to examine, particularly, the legitimacy of digital games, as well as the transactions carried out by players in the gaming world from a jurisprudential perspective. The thesis comprises three main sections. The first section elaborates on the nature of digital games and emphasizes the legal protection of such games. The second section examines the historical context, analyzing gaming and entertainment mediums during the periods of Jahiliyyah, the Islamic Golden Age, the Umayyad, and Abbasid eras, to collect relevant data. In the final section, based on the data obtained from the first two sections, various aspects of gaming activities are examined from a jurisprudential standpoint, including the legitimacy criteria of digital games, their relation to property, benefit, and rights concepts, and significant transactions such as buying and selling within the gaming world. Ultimately, it is observed that digital games can be played in accordance with the general principles and fundamental tenets of our religion, provided that the specified conditions are adhered to. Furthermore, it is concluded that, in addition to the determined conditions for valid transactions, such as the buying and selling of digital games, adherence to the terms of service presented by gaming companies during the registration process is necessary, and actions should be taken within this framework.