Sharia Rulings Related to the Design of Electronic Games and its Programming - A Jurisprudential Study Compared to Saudi law

Abstract

The main idea of the research is represented in clarifying the concept of designing and programming electronic games and the legal provisions related to them and demonstrating the Saudi law in regulating them. The importance of the research lies in the wide and noticeable spread of prohibited electronic games which are harmful to religion, money, and the soul. The need for people to explain what is forbidden in these games so as to avoid them and warn against them. In addition to clarifying what is permissible for entertaining oneself for sometimes, and trying to design useful and sound electronic games to meet the needs of the society in this field to include what is useful and for young people. The research problem is to explain the ruling of designing and programming electronic games. The research tends to: make clear what is meant by the designing of electronic games, explain their types and the legal rulings related to each type, explain the keeping up of Sharia with contemporary issues, and the jurisprudential adaptation of the design of electronic games, present some dangerous games to beware of, while examining the reasons for young people’s attraction to these games and using these keys to design purposeful games to represent a counter-current that carries the same weapons used in dangerous games, but used in a useful, entertaining, and safe game as well as clarifying the Saudi law in the use of electronic games. The nature of the research required using the inductive approach, the analytical approach and the applied approach. Among the most prominent findings reached by the researcher is that designing and programming electronic games is considered as a means of entertainment and self-recreation, and has even become an important means of education in the current era. Therefore, the researcher believes that the provision of designing and programming electronic games is permissible according to Sharia rulings, as they are free of Sharia prohibitions such as music, nudity, showing private parts, and spreading corrupt beliefs. Likewise, the researcher believes that programming and designing electronic games regulated by Sharia is a legal duty for those who specialize in this field to confront the fierce attack by electronic game makers that have invaded homes as well as schools and universities.