the two contestants, enabling each to inflict severe bodily injury on the other—injury that may reach the point of blindness, acute or chronic brain damage, grievous fractures, or even death—without the striker bearing any liability, while the audience cheers for the victor and delights in the harm suffered by the loser.

Such conduct is absolutely and categorically forbidden in Islam, for Allah the Exalted says, “Do not throw yourselves with your own hands into destruction” (al-Baqarah 2:195), and He says, “Do not kill yourselves; surely Allah is ever merciful to you” (al-Nisāʾ 4:29). The Messenger of Allah ﷺ also said, “There is to be neither harm nor reciprocating harm.”

Accordingly, the jurists of the Sharia have ruled that if a person renders his own blood lawful to another by saying, “Kill me,” it is not permissible for the latter to do so; should he kill him, he is liable and deserving of punishment.

On this basis, the Council decides that this form of boxing is not to be called a physical sport and that it is impermissible to practice it, for the very notion of sport is founded on exercise without injury or harm. It must therefore be removed from domestic sports programs and from participation in international competitions. The Council further rules that broadcasting it on television is unlawful, lest young people learn this harmful activity and attempt to imitate it.

Freestyle wrestling: As for freestyle wrestling, in which each wrestler deems it lawful to injure and harm the other, the Council regards it as essentially identical to the boxing just mentioned, despite the difference in outward form, because all the legal objections cited with respect to boxing are present in this kind of wrestling, which is conducted in the manner of combat and therefore shares its ruling of prohibition.

Other forms of wrestling that are practiced purely for physical exercise and in which harming the opponent is not permitted, however, are lawful according to the Sharia, and the Council sees no objection to them.