GUIDELINES FOR CONTRIBUTION
Rufat is a work of fiction shaped by an Islamic moral framework. These guidelines are here so contributors can be imaginative without accidentally taking the project in a direction that conflicts with the values behind it.
THE PURPOSE
Rufat does not need to preach in every scene, and Qamaris is not meant to be a fictional Islamic state. The goal is simpler: the game should be something we can create, share and enjoy without deliberately building its appeal around what we believe is religiously impermissible.
These are project contribution standards, not a claim that every question below has only one scholarly opinion. Where Islamic rulings are detailed or disputed, we will distinguish between the project’s chosen standard and a universal religious ruling.
CORE PRINCIPLES
These principles apply to writing, character concepts, visual art, environments, quests, dialogue, sound and gameplay ideas.
Rufat is a fictional world, but its fiction should never ask players to worship, invoke, pray to or place trust in invented gods, spirits or created beings. The story may portray false beliefs as part of a fallen world, but it must not present shirk as admirable, spiritually true or something the player is encouraged to practise.
The curse, the Weavers and other supernatural elements are fantasy devices, not claims about the real unseen. Contributions should avoid presenting invented cosmology as Islamic truth, imitating Qur’anic revelation, inventing sacred scripture, or turning real acts of worship into magical mechanics.
Clothing, poses, dialogue and framing should preserve modesty. Characters should not be sexualised, and women should not be designed around revealing clothing or suggestive presentation. Male characters should also be portrayed with dignity rather than sexualisation.
Rufat deliberately avoids realistic human depiction in its character art. Our people are represented through the game’s stylised textile, vessel and abstract visual language. Contributions should work within that direction rather than introduce realistic or anatomically human character portraits.
Qur’anic verses, the names of Allah, the shahadah and other sacred Islamic text should not be used as decorative motifs, magical runes, background texture, clothing ornament or environmental dressing. Religious symbols from any faith should not be inserted casually as fantasy props.
Rufat contains combat, danger, death and grief, but violence should not become sadistic entertainment. Avoid gratuitous gore, torture-as-spectacle, sexual violence, cruelty toward children, or imagery whose main purpose is shock value.
PRACTICAL CHECKLIST
You do not need to be a scholar or know every rule before sharing an idea. These examples are here to make the Workshop’s direction predictable.
“Can this idea be powerful without asking us to compromise what we believe?”
That is the question behind these guidelines.WHAT IF I AM UNSURE?
Contributors are not expected to resolve religious questions themselves. If something feels borderline, tell us what you are trying to achieve and we can reshape the execution while preserving the heart of the idea.
Write a short note such as “I am unsure whether this supernatural mechanic fits the guidelines.” That is enough.
Often the emotional purpose of an idea can remain even when its visual, narrative or mechanical expression needs to change.
If a contribution depends on a real religious ruling, the Workshop can hold it for review rather than pretending certainty where there is none.
READY TO CONTRIBUTE?
A character routine, family memory, environmental detail, object, sketch, quest or unfinished thought can all belong in Rufat when they fit the world and these boundaries.
