Why Playing PUBG or Video Games Is Halal-4 Strong Points
13/04/2020
Playing videos games or PUBG is something that is clearly not haram in Islam. Islam is a religion that answers and solves the most complex questions and problems and Islam is very clear on watching video games and PUBG and that is, it is not at all haram to play such games. Now some of you readers would have come across a fatwa against the playing of PUBG making the most dubious claim that it impedes the daily responsibilities. Below is an excerpt of the news that appeared online,
“An Islamic religious authority in the Kurdistan Region on Wednesday ruled it ‘Haram’ (forbidden) to play the online multiplayer game Player Unknown’s Battle Grounds (PUBG) for more than ‘a few minutes’ a day, or if playing it impedes daily responsibilities. The decision came during a meeting between the members of the Fatwa Committee of Sulaimani, a city in the Kurdistan Region, after they had received complaints from family members or relatives of people reportedly ‘addicted’ to playing the game and causing familial disputes"
(source-kurdistan24.net-Link- https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/culture/fbcb2390-f9e5-4acc-a04f-b599a3e23904)
It is unfortunate to see such ludicrous fatwas coming out almost daily. First of all the familial disputes and the so called addiction of playing video or mobile games is not based on any scientific evidence but on pure anecdotes. Let us examine why playing video games or PUBG is halal in Islam with four strong points.
1 Wasting Time for You is Not Wasting Time for Me
One of the main arguments I see from the pseudo puritans is the arguments that playing video games or PUBG is a waste of time. Now, I would like to ask them what is wasting of time and how does the definition of wasting time effect playing online video or mobile games. Waste of time is relative and one man's food is another man's poison. Just because doing something is a waste of time for one person does not mean that it is a waste of time for another. It is totally wrong to bring in one’s own personal dislikes and force fit that opinion on to others. For an example watching Youtube can be a waste of time for an old person but could be beneficial for a young person and similarly playing games could be beneficial for an individual to fight off stress or to calm him down. The famous hadith that is quoted to criticize playing video or mobile games is the hadith of Ibn Abbas (rali) where the prophet (sal) said,
“There are two blessings which many people waste: health and free time. For doing good”
(Sahih al Bukhari)
This hadith speaks in general and not in a specific manner but unfortunately people are giving their own opinions and trying to use this hadith to invalidate anything that doesn't fit their mind set or thinking. Islam is based only on the Quran and the authentic Sunnah and not on a person's personal likes and dislikes. Let us look at one hadith on how the prophet (sal) allowed his companions to enjoy their free time.
Aisha (rali) narrated,
“The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, came to my house when two girls were beside me singing songs of Bu’ath. The Prophet laid down and turned his face to the other side. Then, Abu Bakr came in and spoke to me harshly, saying, “Musical instruments of Satan near the Prophet?” The Prophet turned his face toward him and he said, “Leave them alone.” When Abu Bakr became inattentive, I signalled to the girls and they left. It was the day of Eid and the Abyssinians were playing with shields and spears. Either I asked the Prophet or he asked me whether I would like to watch and I said yes. Then the Prophet made me stand behind him while my cheek was touching his cheek and the Prophet was saying, “Carry on, O tribe of Arfidah.” I became tired and the Prophet asked me, “Are you satisfied?” I said yes, so I left."
(Bukhari and Muslim)
In this hadith the prophet (sal) allowed Aisha (rali) watch Abyssinians play with their shields and spears and Aisha (rali) enjoyed it until she herself got tired. This is a beautiful hadith that refutes all the false claims of wasting time because if watching the Abyssinians playing was a waste of time, then the prophet (sal) would not have allowed such a thing. Some will try to argue that the prophet (sal) allowed Aisha (rali) watch this entertainment because she had not attained puberty. Nowhere does it say that this incident took place before she attained puberty and even for the sake of argument if this is true then where does it say that an adult cannot watch such entertainment. All of the arguments that have been presented on this hadith are based on assumptions.
The Ansar were Fond of Entertainment
The other hadith that refutes the false arguments of modern Muslims is the hadith that mentions how the Ansar sahaba loved entertainment.
Aisha (rali) narrated, she prepared a lady for marriage to a man among the Ansar. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “O Aisha, do you have any entertainment? Verily, the Ansar are fond of entertainment.”
(Bukhari)
It is unfortunate that nowadays some Muslims are trying to be big shots and try to even go beyond the understanding of the sahaba. The Ansar were the foremost companions of the prophet (sal) and this is what the prophet (sal) said with regards to the Ansar,
Al-Bara (rali) narrated that the prophet (sal) said,
“None loves the Ansar but a believer, and none hates them but a hypocrite. Whoever loves them, Allah will love him. Whoever hates them, Allah will hate him.”(Bukhari and Muslim)In this hadith it is clear that loving the Ansar is a sign of a Muslim and the foremost companions such as the Ansar were also fond of entertainment but unfortunately nowadays Muslims have become dull puritans. Abu Said al Khudri (rali) narrated, the prophet (sal) said, “Do not insult my companions. If one of you were to spend the likes of mount Uhud in gold, it would not reach a small portion of theirs or even half of that.”
(Bukhari and Muslim)
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (rali) narrated, the prophet (sal) said, “The best people are those of my generation, then those who come after them, then those who come after them. Then, there will come people after them whose testimony precedes their oaths and their oaths precede their testimony.”
(Bukhari and Muslim)
from these hadiths it is very clear that the companions of the prophet (sal) were the best generation and even if they were fond of entertainment why cannot other Muslims enjoy entertaining themselves by playing video or mobile games such as PUBG?. Even the prophet (sal) played with his companions as evident from the below hadith, Narrated Salama bin Al-Akwa (rali),
The Prophet (sal) passed by some persons of the tribe of Aslam practicing archery (i.e. the throwing of arrows) Allah's Messenger (sal) said, "O offspring of Ishmael! Practice archery (i.e. arrow throwing) as your father was a great archer (i.e. arrow-thrower). I am with (on the side of) the son of so-and-so-." Hearing that, one of the two teams stopped throwing. Allah's Messenger (sal) asked them, ' Why are you not throwing?" They replied, "O Allah's Messenger (sal)! How shall we throw when you are with the opposite team?" He said, "Throw, for I am with you all."
(Bukhari)
2. Sex and Nudism in Video Games is Halal
The other argument put forward to prove why playing video or mobile games is haram is the argument that some of these games such as grand theft auto and others have nudity and sex scenes. What should be understood is that these nude or sex scenes are just cartoon characters and Islam only forbids real life porn and not cartoon or animated porn. Watching cartoon or animated porn is not haram because there is no clear evidence from the Quran or authentic hadith to prove that it's haram. Islam is silent on this topic. Silence is a mercy from Allah (swt). The prophet (sal) said:
“The Prophet (sal) said, “Verily Allah has obligated the obligations – so do not neglect them. And He has limited the limits – so do not transgress them. And His silence about things is from His mercy, not forgetfulness, so do not investigate them.”
(Hasan sahih-Ad-Darqutni No. 4/199 and Al-Baihaqi No. 10/122).
For something to be clearly forbidden there needs to be clear textual evidence. When it comes to watching animated porn, there is no clear evidence to prove that it's haram. Some Muslims are drawing implications without giving clear evidence because there is no evidence in the first place. The argument or in other words the analogy they try to derive is that there is no difference between watching real life porn and animated porn. This argument is clearly wrong because before the time of our messenger (sal) there were erotic drawings in Greece, Mesopotamia etc. Even so, the prophet (sal) was silent on this issue so were the sahaba. The difference between real life porn and animated porn is like the example of eating real meat of a pig and eating a chocolate or sweet shaped pig which is not real pork. Eating the latter is definitely allowed because it does not contain real pork although it is shaped in the shape of a pig. You can read more on why animated porn is halal by clicking here https://cjislam.weebly.com/why-watching-cartoonanime-porn-is-not-haram-in-islam.html
3. Even the Companions Used Weapons and Violence
There is a misunderstood opinion among some Muslims that video or mobile games are forbidden because it encourages violence. It is true that first person shooter games such as assassin’s creed, PUBG and others have many killing scenes and shooting scenes. Now the question is, where does Islam forbid such violence. The below hadiths prove that shooting r violence is not haram.
Ibn Amir (rali) who said:
“ I heard the Messenger of Allah (sal) say-and he was delivering a sermon from the pulpit: "Prepare to meet them with as much strength as you can afford. Beware, strength consists in archery. Beware, strength consists in archery. Beware, strength consists in archery."
(Muslim)
Narrated Salama bin Al-Akwa (rali),
The Prophet (sal) passed by some persons of the tribe of Aslam practicing archery (i.e. the throwing of arrows) Allah's Messenger (sal) said, "O offspring of Ishmael! Practice archery (i.e. arrow throwing) as your father was a great archer (i.e. arrow-thrower). I am with (on the side of) the son of so-and-so-." Hearing that, one of the two teams stopped throwing. Allah's Messenger (sal) asked them, ' Why are you not throwing?" They replied, "O Allah's Messenger (sal)! How shall we throw when you are with the opposite team?" He said, "Throw, for I am with you all."
(Bukhari)
Narrated Salama: Allah's Apostle passed by some people from the tribe of Aslam practicing archery. He said, "O children of Ishmael! Throw (arrows), for your father was an archer. I am on the side of Bani so-and-so," meaning one of the two teams. The other team stopped throwing, whereupon the Prophet said, "What has happened to them?" They replied, "How shall we throw while you are with Bani so-and-so?" He said, "Throw for I am with all of you."
(Bukhari)
Anas bin Malik (rali) said:
"We used to offer the Maghrib prayer with the Prophet (sal) and then shoot arrows; one of us could see the place where arrow would fall."
(Abu Dawud-416-graded sahih by Albani)
Narrated Usaid (rali):
"On the day of Badr, Allah's Messenger (sal) said to us, "When the enemy comes near to you, shoot at them but use your arrows sparingly (so that your arrows should not be wasted)."
(Bukhari)
All of these hadiths encourages Muslims to shoot and to kill the enemies who are trying to hurt you and playing video or mobile games such as PUBG is very beneficial in learning shooting and enemy combating. Research has found that playing violent video games helps improve shooting accuracy. Below is an excerpt from an article published in Livescience.com,
" Playing violent shoot-‘em-up video games makes people more accurate at firing real guns, and make them more likely to aim for the head, a new study finds. Just 20 minutes of video game practice does the trick. To test the effect, the participants — after playing popular video games — shot pistol-shaped controllers at mannequins in a video environment (not a live shooting range). Those participants made 99 percent more completed head shots to the mannequin than did participants who played other, non-shooting video games, as well as 33 percent more shots that hit other parts of the body. In addition, the study found that participants who reported habitual playing of violent shooting games also were more accurate than others when shooting at the mannequin, and made more head shots. It’s not surprising that video games can improve shooting accuracy -- the military, police departments and others already use video games for training purposes, said Brad Bushman, co-author of the study and a professor of communication and psychology at Ohio State University." (Source-www.livescience.com-April 30, 2012-Link for the full article https://www.livescience.com/19984-violent-video-games-improves-real-shooting-accuracy.html)
4. Playing as Idols in the Games is Halal Because You Are not worshipping them
The next discouragement that comes with playing video or mobile games is that some of these games such as Pokémon and others have characters depicting Greek or other idols. Now no one is going to worship these idols that are depicted in these games and such idols are only used for the sake of entertainment and not for reverence or for the purpose of worship. 'Umar bin al-Khattab (rali) narrated that the prophet (sal) said, “Actions are according to intentions, and everyone will get what was intended. Whoever migrates with an intention for Allah and His messenger, the migration will be for the sake of Allah and his Messenger. And whoever migrates for worldly gain or to marry a woman, then his migration will be for the sake of whatever he migrated for."
(Bukhari and Muslim)
Allah (swt) judges your actions according to your intentions and if these characters are used only for the sole purpose of entertainment then there is nothing wrong in it. There is a difference between playing with idols as dolls and worshipping them. Worshipping a doll is idol worship and is shirk and kufr but playing with them is a way of demeaning them and that is halal. Aisha (rali) narrated,
“I used to play with dolls in the presence of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and my girlfriends would play with me. When the Prophet entered, they would hide themselves but he would call them to join me and play with me."
(Bukhari)
In this hadith Aisha (rali) played with dolls and this is allowed because it is for the use of playing.
Conclusion
Islam encourages archery and shooting with arrows and this clearly proves that playing video or mobile games is a form of practice of shooting and there is nothing haram in playing video or mobile games in Islam. Islam is an easy religion and we should always make things easy rather than making it hard upon people because it is the extreme heretics such as Sufi's and the Kawarij who go in to extreme interpretations and heresies in Islam.
C J Ahmed
Playing videos games or PUBG is something that is clearly not haram in Islam. Islam is a religion that answers and solves the most complex questions and problems and Islam is very clear on watching video games and PUBG and that is, it is not at all haram to play such games. Now some of you readers would have come across a fatwa against the playing of PUBG making the most dubious claim that it impedes the daily responsibilities. Below is an excerpt of the news that appeared online,
“An Islamic religious authority in the Kurdistan Region on Wednesday ruled it ‘Haram’ (forbidden) to play the online multiplayer game Player Unknown’s Battle Grounds (PUBG) for more than ‘a few minutes’ a day, or if playing it impedes daily responsibilities. The decision came during a meeting between the members of the Fatwa Committee of Sulaimani, a city in the Kurdistan Region, after they had received complaints from family members or relatives of people reportedly ‘addicted’ to playing the game and causing familial disputes"
(source-kurdistan24.net-Link- https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/culture/fbcb2390-f9e5-4acc-a04f-b599a3e23904)
It is unfortunate to see such ludicrous fatwas coming out almost daily. First of all the familial disputes and the so called addiction of playing video or mobile games is not based on any scientific evidence but on pure anecdotes. Let us examine why playing video games or PUBG is halal in Islam with four strong points.
1 Wasting Time for You is Not Wasting Time for Me
One of the main arguments I see from the pseudo puritans is the arguments that playing video games or PUBG is a waste of time. Now, I would like to ask them what is wasting of time and how does the definition of wasting time effect playing online video or mobile games. Waste of time is relative and one man's food is another man's poison. Just because doing something is a waste of time for one person does not mean that it is a waste of time for another. It is totally wrong to bring in one’s own personal dislikes and force fit that opinion on to others. For an example watching Youtube can be a waste of time for an old person but could be beneficial for a young person and similarly playing games could be beneficial for an individual to fight off stress or to calm him down. The famous hadith that is quoted to criticize playing video or mobile games is the hadith of Ibn Abbas (rali) where the prophet (sal) said,
“There are two blessings which many people waste: health and free time. For doing good”
(Sahih al Bukhari)
This hadith speaks in general and not in a specific manner but unfortunately people are giving their own opinions and trying to use this hadith to invalidate anything that doesn't fit their mind set or thinking. Islam is based only on the Quran and the authentic Sunnah and not on a person's personal likes and dislikes. Let us look at one hadith on how the prophet (sal) allowed his companions to enjoy their free time.
Aisha (rali) narrated,
“The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, came to my house when two girls were beside me singing songs of Bu’ath. The Prophet laid down and turned his face to the other side. Then, Abu Bakr came in and spoke to me harshly, saying, “Musical instruments of Satan near the Prophet?” The Prophet turned his face toward him and he said, “Leave them alone.” When Abu Bakr became inattentive, I signalled to the girls and they left. It was the day of Eid and the Abyssinians were playing with shields and spears. Either I asked the Prophet or he asked me whether I would like to watch and I said yes. Then the Prophet made me stand behind him while my cheek was touching his cheek and the Prophet was saying, “Carry on, O tribe of Arfidah.” I became tired and the Prophet asked me, “Are you satisfied?” I said yes, so I left."
(Bukhari and Muslim)
In this hadith the prophet (sal) allowed Aisha (rali) watch Abyssinians play with their shields and spears and Aisha (rali) enjoyed it until she herself got tired. This is a beautiful hadith that refutes all the false claims of wasting time because if watching the Abyssinians playing was a waste of time, then the prophet (sal) would not have allowed such a thing. Some will try to argue that the prophet (sal) allowed Aisha (rali) watch this entertainment because she had not attained puberty. Nowhere does it say that this incident took place before she attained puberty and even for the sake of argument if this is true then where does it say that an adult cannot watch such entertainment. All of the arguments that have been presented on this hadith are based on assumptions.
The Ansar were Fond of Entertainment
The other hadith that refutes the false arguments of modern Muslims is the hadith that mentions how the Ansar sahaba loved entertainment.
Aisha (rali) narrated, she prepared a lady for marriage to a man among the Ansar. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “O Aisha, do you have any entertainment? Verily, the Ansar are fond of entertainment.”
(Bukhari)
It is unfortunate that nowadays some Muslims are trying to be big shots and try to even go beyond the understanding of the sahaba. The Ansar were the foremost companions of the prophet (sal) and this is what the prophet (sal) said with regards to the Ansar,
Al-Bara (rali) narrated that the prophet (sal) said,
“None loves the Ansar but a believer, and none hates them but a hypocrite. Whoever loves them, Allah will love him. Whoever hates them, Allah will hate him.”(Bukhari and Muslim)In this hadith it is clear that loving the Ansar is a sign of a Muslim and the foremost companions such as the Ansar were also fond of entertainment but unfortunately nowadays Muslims have become dull puritans. Abu Said al Khudri (rali) narrated, the prophet (sal) said, “Do not insult my companions. If one of you were to spend the likes of mount Uhud in gold, it would not reach a small portion of theirs or even half of that.”
(Bukhari and Muslim)
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (rali) narrated, the prophet (sal) said, “The best people are those of my generation, then those who come after them, then those who come after them. Then, there will come people after them whose testimony precedes their oaths and their oaths precede their testimony.”
(Bukhari and Muslim)
from these hadiths it is very clear that the companions of the prophet (sal) were the best generation and even if they were fond of entertainment why cannot other Muslims enjoy entertaining themselves by playing video or mobile games such as PUBG?. Even the prophet (sal) played with his companions as evident from the below hadith, Narrated Salama bin Al-Akwa (rali),
The Prophet (sal) passed by some persons of the tribe of Aslam practicing archery (i.e. the throwing of arrows) Allah's Messenger (sal) said, "O offspring of Ishmael! Practice archery (i.e. arrow throwing) as your father was a great archer (i.e. arrow-thrower). I am with (on the side of) the son of so-and-so-." Hearing that, one of the two teams stopped throwing. Allah's Messenger (sal) asked them, ' Why are you not throwing?" They replied, "O Allah's Messenger (sal)! How shall we throw when you are with the opposite team?" He said, "Throw, for I am with you all."
(Bukhari)
2. Sex and Nudism in Video Games is Halal
The other argument put forward to prove why playing video or mobile games is haram is the argument that some of these games such as grand theft auto and others have nudity and sex scenes. What should be understood is that these nude or sex scenes are just cartoon characters and Islam only forbids real life porn and not cartoon or animated porn. Watching cartoon or animated porn is not haram because there is no clear evidence from the Quran or authentic hadith to prove that it's haram. Islam is silent on this topic. Silence is a mercy from Allah (swt). The prophet (sal) said:
“The Prophet (sal) said, “Verily Allah has obligated the obligations – so do not neglect them. And He has limited the limits – so do not transgress them. And His silence about things is from His mercy, not forgetfulness, so do not investigate them.”
(Hasan sahih-Ad-Darqutni No. 4/199 and Al-Baihaqi No. 10/122).
For something to be clearly forbidden there needs to be clear textual evidence. When it comes to watching animated porn, there is no clear evidence to prove that it's haram. Some Muslims are drawing implications without giving clear evidence because there is no evidence in the first place. The argument or in other words the analogy they try to derive is that there is no difference between watching real life porn and animated porn. This argument is clearly wrong because before the time of our messenger (sal) there were erotic drawings in Greece, Mesopotamia etc. Even so, the prophet (sal) was silent on this issue so were the sahaba. The difference between real life porn and animated porn is like the example of eating real meat of a pig and eating a chocolate or sweet shaped pig which is not real pork. Eating the latter is definitely allowed because it does not contain real pork although it is shaped in the shape of a pig. You can read more on why animated porn is halal by clicking here https://cjislam.weebly.com/why-watching-cartoonanime-porn-is-not-haram-in-islam.html
3. Even the Companions Used Weapons and Violence
There is a misunderstood opinion among some Muslims that video or mobile games are forbidden because it encourages violence. It is true that first person shooter games such as assassin’s creed, PUBG and others have many killing scenes and shooting scenes. Now the question is, where does Islam forbid such violence. The below hadiths prove that shooting r violence is not haram.
Ibn Amir (rali) who said:
“ I heard the Messenger of Allah (sal) say-and he was delivering a sermon from the pulpit: "Prepare to meet them with as much strength as you can afford. Beware, strength consists in archery. Beware, strength consists in archery. Beware, strength consists in archery."
(Muslim)
Narrated Salama bin Al-Akwa (rali),
The Prophet (sal) passed by some persons of the tribe of Aslam practicing archery (i.e. the throwing of arrows) Allah's Messenger (sal) said, "O offspring of Ishmael! Practice archery (i.e. arrow throwing) as your father was a great archer (i.e. arrow-thrower). I am with (on the side of) the son of so-and-so-." Hearing that, one of the two teams stopped throwing. Allah's Messenger (sal) asked them, ' Why are you not throwing?" They replied, "O Allah's Messenger (sal)! How shall we throw when you are with the opposite team?" He said, "Throw, for I am with you all."
(Bukhari)
Narrated Salama: Allah's Apostle passed by some people from the tribe of Aslam practicing archery. He said, "O children of Ishmael! Throw (arrows), for your father was an archer. I am on the side of Bani so-and-so," meaning one of the two teams. The other team stopped throwing, whereupon the Prophet said, "What has happened to them?" They replied, "How shall we throw while you are with Bani so-and-so?" He said, "Throw for I am with all of you."
(Bukhari)
Anas bin Malik (rali) said:
"We used to offer the Maghrib prayer with the Prophet (sal) and then shoot arrows; one of us could see the place where arrow would fall."
(Abu Dawud-416-graded sahih by Albani)
Narrated Usaid (rali):
"On the day of Badr, Allah's Messenger (sal) said to us, "When the enemy comes near to you, shoot at them but use your arrows sparingly (so that your arrows should not be wasted)."
(Bukhari)
All of these hadiths encourages Muslims to shoot and to kill the enemies who are trying to hurt you and playing video or mobile games such as PUBG is very beneficial in learning shooting and enemy combating. Research has found that playing violent video games helps improve shooting accuracy. Below is an excerpt from an article published in Livescience.com,
" Playing violent shoot-‘em-up video games makes people more accurate at firing real guns, and make them more likely to aim for the head, a new study finds. Just 20 minutes of video game practice does the trick. To test the effect, the participants — after playing popular video games — shot pistol-shaped controllers at mannequins in a video environment (not a live shooting range). Those participants made 99 percent more completed head shots to the mannequin than did participants who played other, non-shooting video games, as well as 33 percent more shots that hit other parts of the body. In addition, the study found that participants who reported habitual playing of violent shooting games also were more accurate than others when shooting at the mannequin, and made more head shots. It’s not surprising that video games can improve shooting accuracy -- the military, police departments and others already use video games for training purposes, said Brad Bushman, co-author of the study and a professor of communication and psychology at Ohio State University." (Source-www.livescience.com-April 30, 2012-Link for the full article https://www.livescience.com/19984-violent-video-games-improves-real-shooting-accuracy.html)
4. Playing as Idols in the Games is Halal Because You Are not worshipping them
The next discouragement that comes with playing video or mobile games is that some of these games such as Pokémon and others have characters depicting Greek or other idols. Now no one is going to worship these idols that are depicted in these games and such idols are only used for the sake of entertainment and not for reverence or for the purpose of worship. 'Umar bin al-Khattab (rali) narrated that the prophet (sal) said, “Actions are according to intentions, and everyone will get what was intended. Whoever migrates with an intention for Allah and His messenger, the migration will be for the sake of Allah and his Messenger. And whoever migrates for worldly gain or to marry a woman, then his migration will be for the sake of whatever he migrated for."
(Bukhari and Muslim)
Allah (swt) judges your actions according to your intentions and if these characters are used only for the sole purpose of entertainment then there is nothing wrong in it. There is a difference between playing with idols as dolls and worshipping them. Worshipping a doll is idol worship and is shirk and kufr but playing with them is a way of demeaning them and that is halal. Aisha (rali) narrated,
“I used to play with dolls in the presence of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and my girlfriends would play with me. When the Prophet entered, they would hide themselves but he would call them to join me and play with me."
(Bukhari)
In this hadith Aisha (rali) played with dolls and this is allowed because it is for the use of playing.
Conclusion
Islam encourages archery and shooting with arrows and this clearly proves that playing video or mobile games is a form of practice of shooting and there is nothing haram in playing video or mobile games in Islam. Islam is an easy religion and we should always make things easy rather than making it hard upon people because it is the extreme heretics such as Sufi's and the Kawarij who go in to extreme interpretations and heresies in Islam.
C J Ahmed