Jackaroo Game: A classification Jurisprudential Study

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Department of Sharia - College of Sharia and Islamic Studies King Faisal University - Al-Ahsa Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

This study aims to clarify the Islamic legal ruling on the popular group game “Jackaroo,” which has recently become widespread among youth. The research explores the game’s rulings in relation to the use of playing cards, financial stakes, and the potential for prohibited behaviors such as mixed-gender interaction or excessive amusement. The study adopts an inductive and analytical methodology by tracing relevant jurisprudential texts and analyzing their application to the nature of the game. The findings indicate that the ruling on Jackaroo varies based on surrounding circumstances: it is prohibited if it involves images of animate beings on cards, financial stakes between players, or leads to sinful behavior such as cursing, neglecting religious obligations, or prohibited gender mixing. It is deemed disliked (makruh) if excessively played to the point of time-wasting without benefit, and permissible if free of these violations, used with permissible card types, and played in moderation for recreation. One of the key conclusions is that the default ruling on games is permissibility, but attention must be paid to associated harms. The study favors the opinion that the use of cards with depictions of animate beings is prohibited unless they are clearly degraded or disrespected. The research recommends increasing jurisprudential awareness of contemporary games and encouraging the beneficial aspects of group play, such as cooperation and planning, while avoiding moral and religious harms.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics