Is It Permissible to Watch a Fight? An Islamic Perspective
Source: Fatāwā Muḥammadiyyah, Volume 1, Page 868❖ Question:
Is it permissible to watch someone’s fight or quarrel?
✿ Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
Watching a fight between individuals merely for entertainment or mental amusement is strictly impermissible in Islam.
According to Islamic teachings, when witnessing such an incident, a believer is obligated to support both the oppressor and the oppressed — not to stand by as a passive spectator.
✦ Prophetic Guidance from Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī:
"Anṣur akhāka ẓāliman aw maẓlūman."
(Support your brother whether he is an oppressor or oppressed.)
— Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Maẓālim, Bāb: Help your brother, oppressor or oppressed, Vol. 1, p. 330
Upon hearing this, the Companions (رضي الله عنهم) asked:
"O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, we understand helping the oppressed, but how should we help the oppressor?"
The Prophet ﷺ replied:
"By restraining his hand — so that he cannot commit further oppression."
قَالَ تَأْخُذُ فَوْقَ يَدِهِ
(You stop him from doing wrong.)
✦ Another narration from Ibn ʿUmar (رضي الله عنه):
"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'A Muslim is the brother of another Muslim; he does not wrong him nor does he hand him over to an oppressor.'"
— Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Ḥadīth No. 23, Vol. 1
❖ Ruling Summary:
It is not permissible to watch a fight as a form of spectacle. Rather, it is a moral and religious duty for a Muslim to try and end the fight — to the best of their ability.
If a person possesses the power or means to intervene but still chooses to watch silently, it is a violation of both Islamic brotherhood and basic human empathy.
This is what I understand. And Allah knows best what is correct.
هٰذا ما عندي، والله أعلم بالصواب
