MUI Says Ultimate Fighting Championship is Haram

Jakarta, MINA – The display of mixed martial arts or Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is deemed haram (forbidden) by the Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI) due to containing elements prohibited in Islam.

Based on Sharia studies (Islamic law), human combat involving punching and kicking is considered haram. This is because such actions are seen as damaging to one’s own body and that of others.

“Even cockfighting is haram, let alone human combat. It’s forbidden because it harms oneself and others. This already contradicts the purpose of Sharia,” explained MUI’s Deputy Secretary General, Badriyah Fayumi, as reported by Suara.com on Monday,

Badriyah added that UFC matches could have negative impacts on children, thus reinforcing the prohibition of watching these shows, which are considered violent and pornographic.

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“So shows like this, not only are they forbidden for children, but they’re actually haram for adults too. Especially for children, the danger is greater because they might imitate without realizing that such shows are actually forbidden due to their significant harm,” she clarified.

What MUI has conveyed is not new regarding UFC sports. UFC world champion Khabib Nurmagomedov has also expressed his opinion on whether mixed martial arts is halal (permissible) or haram (forbidden).

Khabib, who is also a practicing Muslim, emphasized that he has principles regarding UFC sports. Khabib stated that determining whether it is halal or haram is not up to him as he is just an ordinary human being.

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“Hitting someone’s face, it’s acknowledged that it’s not good, and I fully agree with that 100%. But how can I say that this is halal? It’s not my decision to determine whether this sport is halal or haram,” Khabib firmly stated as reported by Sportskeeda in 2012.

Furthermore, Khabib mentioned that as a UFC fighter, he often restrains himself from attacking brutally because he does not want to cause severe injuries to his opponents.

“I don’t agree with people who punch faces. That’s why I prefer choking and wrestling. Sometimes, when I can, I prefer to hold back even though they are attacking me,”

“I talk to them and say, ‘Hey, you should stop. I don’t want to hurt you.’ In some UFC matches, I could break their arm, and they know it, but I choose not to do it,” continued the Russian fighter. (T/RE1/P2)

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Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)