Gambling (Qimar)
Allah says, {O ye who believe! Intoxicants and gambling, sacrificing to stones, and (divination by) arrows are an abomination of Satan’s handiwork: eschew such (abomination) that ye may prosper. Satan plans to stir up hostility and hatred between you with intoxicants and gambling and to prevent you from remembering Allah and praying. Will you not then abstain?} (5:90-91)
Gambling connotes backgammon, chess, and speculation by nuts, balls, stones, and all kinds of betting. It ranks under encroaching upon people’s rights that Allah has made forbidden in His saying, {And do not eat up your property among yourselves for vanities, nor use it as bait for the judges, with intent that ye may eat up wrongfully and knowingly a little of (other) people’s property.} (2:188)
It was also referred to in the Prophetic saying, “Some people spend Allah’s wealth (i.e., Muslim’s wealth) in an unjust manner; such people will be put in the (Hell) fire on the day of resurrection” (Reported by Al-Bukhari and Ahmad).
“The one who invites his companions, ‘Come, let us gamble,’ should expiate his sin by giving in charity. (Reported by Al-Bukhari)
Since the mere willingness to gamble requires expiation, what would be the sin of the real practice of gambling? Muslim scholars have differed on the exact legal ruling regarding backgammon and chess when played without betting. However, the preponderant opinion is to prohibit backgammon.
They established their view on the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) saying, “He who played backgammon is like one who dyed his hand with the flesh and blood of swine.” (Reported by Muslim)
“He who played backgammon has disobeyed Allah and His Messenger.” (Reported by Ibn Majah)
Ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated, “Backgammon is (a kind of) gambling and (is sinful) as eating pork, and playing it without betting is (as prohibited) as embracing the swine’s fat.”
Regarding chess, with or without betting, it is viewed as forbidden by most jurists, for if it includes betting, there is originally no difference of opinion concerning its prohibition. But in case it is void of betting, the prohibition stands more preferable.
However, according to a narration by Imam Shafi’i, if it is played in private and does not distract one’s mind from obligations or prayer at its due time, it is regarded as allowable.
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him), when asked about chess, said, “Most scholars held it forbidden. In cases where it leads to the neglect of prayer on time or involves betting, it is strictly forbidden.
Otherwise, it may be considered abominable. The basic proof to prohibit chess by most jurists is derived from Allah’s saying, {Forbidden to you (for food) are: dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine… The division (of meat) by raffling with arrows.} (Al-Ma’idah: 3)
Sufyan and Waki’ Ibn Al-Jarrah interpreted “the division (of meat) by raffling with arrows” as referring to chess.
`Ali Ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “Chess is the gambling game of the ‘Ajam,’ non-Arabs. He has also passed by a group of people playing chess and said to them, “What are these idols to which you are dedicating yourselves in worship? To touch a firebrand until it gets quenched is better than touching such idols.” (Reported by Ibn Kathir)
He added, “By Allah, it is not the purpose for which you have been created”. On another occasion, he said, “He who plays chess is a great liar. You say to your fellow player, ‘You are dead’, while he is not so”. Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari (radi Allahu anhu) said, “No one plays chess except the sinful person”. It was said to Yzhaq Ibn Rahwayh: “Is there something in playing chess?” (Reported by AI-Suyuti)
He answered, “It is wholly sinful.” When he was informed that the soldiers in camps were used to playing it as a means of training for war, he said, “It is impiety.” Muhammad Ibn Kab Al-Karzi commented, “The least punishment that a chess player will suffer on the Day of Resurrection is to be gathered with the wrongdoers.” Concerning chess, Ibn ‘Umar (radi Allahu anhu) said, “It is more mischievous than backgammon.” And a similar narration with the same effect was quoted from Imam Malik. It is mentioned that Ibn ‘Abbas was appointed as the guardian of the property of an orphan. Among that property, there existed a chess game. Thereupon, Ibn Abbas (radi Allahu anhu) set that game on fire. Hence, if it were permitted to play that game, Ibn Abbas (radi Allahu anhu) would not have destroyed it, since it was the property of an orphan.
Accordingly, the prohibition of chess is measured to that of wine. Ibrahim AI-Nakha’i said about chess: “It is cursed.” Abu Bakr AI-Athram, in his collection, mentioned the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam) saying, “Daily Allah has three hundred and sixty looks which comprehend all his creatures except the sheep player, i.e., the chess player, for he says checkmate.”
Abu Bakr AI-Ajiri related the Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam) saying, “If you pass by those who play with these idols, i.e., backgammon and chess and other amusement, do not greet them. For when they gather and are up to their elbows in playing, Satan alone with his fellows attends their game. And if one of the players averted his glance from playing, Satan would thrust him to turn again to playing; thus, they keep playing till they disperse. They are like a group of dogs that come across a cadaver, eat of it till they are fed up, and then go away. In addition, the chess player usually commits a lie, as he says, “mate”
Mujahid said, “Every man, when he is dying, views his fellowmen whom he used to accompany. One day, a man who was used to playing chess was at the point of death. When he was asked to pronounce the Shahadah -declaration of faith- he instead said,” mate” and died.
His tongue was wrenched by the words he used in his life. The Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said, “Everyone dies in the same manner as he lives and is resurrected in the same manner as he dies” (Reported by Muslim)