Boxing/ Muay Thai, is it Haram

A quick google search tells me that Boxing/Muay Thai are indeed Haram. I'm having trouble understanding this fatwa on islamqa. You can scroll to the middle of the page where they list numbers and then arguments. > "1 – It involves attacking the face, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If any one of you has a fight with his brother, let him avoid the face.” " I never plan on fighting a Muslim. Ever. I have full control over who I fight, and will never fight a Muslim. > 2 – It is a waste of time. > Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said: > If a person should not waste his money on things that are of no benefit, it is even more important that he not waste his time, because time is more precious than money, and because the fact that the young and the not-so-young waste their time on these sorts of games that are of no benefit to them is something that is very unfortunate and regrettable. Here with all due respect, Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen is assuming the goal of a fighter is to gain a title or win a prize. There are many other reason one chooses this path. People find beauty in the techniques, the timing and rhythm, the heart that one can show. If anything Muay Thai has brought me closer to Allah because I am constantly praying for Allah to protect me because of the risks that I take. I don't see what he means "waste of time." Ultimately everything that is not serving Allah subhanahu wa'ta ala is a waste of time. Training is not keeping me from worshiping Allah subhanhu wa'ta ala as there is nothing more important for me in this dunya. I don't see it as wasting good health. When I fight, before the fight I think of Allah subhanahu wa'ta ala, and after the fight. I think of it as me putting my health on the line to display what god wills with me, wether he wants me to be a victor or a loser that day. He mentions time and how we are wasting it, but again, isn't everything ultimately a waste of time? (everything that is not worshiping Allah subhanahu wa'ta ala) > 3 – It is a harmful sport which can lead to irreparable damage, and Allaah has forbidden us to harm our bodies, which He has commanded us to preserve and protect. > It was narrated from ‘Ubaadah ibn al-Saamit that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) decreed that **there should be no harm or reciprocating of harm**. Narrated by Ibn Maajah, 2340 ; Ahmad, 21714; this hadeeth was classed as saheeh by Imam Ahmad and al-Haakim, and as hasan by Ibn al-Salaah. Okay, but what about our beloved prophet Muhammed Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam? Wrestling is a sport that has MAJOR injuries. Dislocations of the knees and shoulders (which are permanent lifelong injuries unless surgery is done) and many more are all frequent injuries in wrestling. I don't know which is worse, brain damage to varying degrees or joint problems to varying degrees, but the point is Muhammad practiced wrestling. And you know what? In wrestling you can be dropped on your head, have your neck broken, and suffer concussions as well, and suffer facial injuries.. So I'm not buying the whole "striking of the face." Why would our beloved prophet practice in wreslting? > ""Rukana ibn Abdu Yazid was the strongest among the Quraysh and one day he met the Prophet Muhammad in one of the side streets of Mecca alone. 'Rukana', he said, 'why won't you fear God and accept my preaching?' 'If I knew what yoy say is true I would follow you', he replied. The Prophet then asked Rukana if he would recognis ethe truth if the Prophet could throw him. (The significane here is that Prophet Muhammad was 50 years old, and Rukana was not only young, but the strongest man of the Quraysh). When Rukana said yes, they began to wrestle. And when the Prophet got a firm grip of him, he threw him to the ground, he being unable to offer and firm resistance. 'Do it again Muhammad' he said, and he did it again. 'This is extraordinary, you can really throw me!' Prophet Muhammad replied,'I can show you something more wonderful than that if you wish. I will call that tree, and it will come to me'. Rukana said, 'Call it'. The Prophet called the tree and it moved until it was standing in front of him. Then he said, 'Return to your place' and it moved back to where it was. [Ibn Ishaque, The Life of Muhammad, pp 178-9]" So how is it justified that Muhammad could wrestle, but I can't box? > "4 – It involves wasting money and wasting people’s time with something that is of no benefit. Instead of being wasted on this useless entertainment, that money could have been spent on charitable causes." I can't control what Kafirs decide to do with their money. If I was to ever be rich, I will actually not be rich, because if I was to get paid a million for a fight, over 900k of that will be going to charity. > 5 – These sports – including boxing – have become an excuse for tribalism and nationalism. Again I cannot control people. This could literally be said for anything. Say their is a genius physicist, that hails from some random country. People can say "look that nation produces the smartest people," i.e nationalism. One could say education, as it exists nowadays, has divided people and made people love or hate on another on the basis of who has the smartest physicist. > " 6 – It involves uncovering the ‘awrah, even if you do not do that, your opponent will. I have no rebuttal for this. >"These fights are not held for the sake of religion, ... , they do not think that this is a fight between Islam and kufr. > Moreover, when you fight, ... they will not allow you to fight in the name of Islam. > ... > In conclusion, this sport if one of the haraam games that cause more harm than good." Why is everything about the people watching? What if I believe that I'm fighting for my religion? Because I believe my heart is my religion? Who says that "they" will not allow me to fight for the name of Islam? Even if they don't, I can show through my actions that Islam is indeed what this is about. If he is a Kaafir whom we are at peace with, my reasons for the fight can still be about my religion, his don't have to be if he so chooses. But I don't see anything wrong with that being the reason why. Ultimately I'm going to ask Allah to help guide me in the end because if he does indeed show me that what I deicde to participate is haram then I will drop it completely without a single thought, for Allah is the most great, magnificant, the ruler of this dunya and the after. All the heavens belong to Him only.