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Fatwa CenterA tennis player is falsely declared winner or loser by the referee
Question
aslam alekom I am a Muslim student in Canada, and our tennis teacher asked as two questions and he wants the answers in our religion prospective 1-you are playing tennis and your opponent hit the ball and the linesman call it is out and you know that the ball is in, and you win the match. What is the struggle that goes on within you and why? and where is it come from? Support your answer with words from your religion’s book. 2- What if you the one who hits the ball and you lost the match? How should you respond and why? So I need you to help me how to show the Muslim characteristic to my teacher and provide me with some of the Quran and Hdeath. my teacher is Christian and he said that he want to know what Islam said in this situations.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
First of all, you should clarify to your teacher that Islam orders the Muslim to be truthful; Allaah Says (what means): {O you who believe! Be afraid of Allaah, and be with those who are truthful (in words and deeds).}[Quran 9:119] Moreover, ‘Abdullaah Ibn Mas’ood 
narrated that the Prophet said: “You should be truthful as truthfulness leads to righteousness and righteousness leads to Paradise, and a man will keep speaking the truth and striving to speak the truth until he will be recorded with Allaah as a Siddeeq (speaker of the truth). And beware of lying, for lying leads to immorality and immorality leads to Hellfire, and a man will keep telling lies and striving to tell lies until he will be recorded with Allaah as a liar.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Secondly, a Muslim is required to be just even if it be against his own self. Allaah Says (what means): {O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm in justice, witnesses for Allaah, even if it be against yourselves or parents and relatives.}[Quran 4:135] Allaah also Says (what means): {O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm for Allaah, witnesses in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness.}[Quran 5:8]
Thirdly, the decision of the judge (in our case the referee) does not change the reality at all, he does not make lawful that which is unlawful, and he does not make unlawful that which is lawful. The evidence about this is that Umm Salamah 
narrated that the Prophet said: “Verily, I am only a human being like you, and the claimants from amongst yourselves bring to me (the dispute) and perhaps some of them are more eloquent than the others. Therefore, I judge in his favor according to what I heard, so whoever I give my judgment in his favor from (any portion of) the right of his Muslim brother, then he should not take it as I give him a portion of Fire.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
As regards the conflict that may happen within the self of a Muslim if he is falsely declared a winner, then he should feel uncomfortable for that. The reason for this is that he was given that which he did not deserve. His belief should make him feel unhappy with injustice and unsatisfied in getting what he had no right to have.
As regards the second case, which is if he is falsely declared as a loser, then as a Muslim you should be content with that and submit yourself to the Will of Allaah because you believe that this is predestined by Him. Allaah Says (what means): {No disaster strikes upon the earth or among yourselves except that it is in a register before We bring it into being — indeed that, for Allaah, is easy —In order that you not despair over what has eluded you and not exult [in pride] over what He has given you. And Allaah does not like everyone self-deluded and boastful.}[Quran 57:22-23] However, even by being patient, you have the right to clarify to the referee that he is wrong and you may ask for justice to be achieved; Allaah Says (what means): {And those who, when tyranny strikes them, they defend themselves.}[Quran 42:39]
Allaah Knows best.
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