Gambling means giving or taking money or goods depending on something that is not known how it will turn out. Whatever the name, any game or wager that has this property and is played in exchange for money or goods is called gambling. The word “maysir” mentioned in the Qur’an is derived from the word “yusr” meaning ease, which indicates that money or goods are easily gained or lost in gambling.
Gambling is a way of getting unearned money, which makes man forget his Creator, prevents him from performing prayer, makes him idle, takes away his strength to work, and causes resentment and enmity among men. All kinds of gambling, which cause irreparable wounds in individual and social life, are haram in the religion of Islam.
On this matter, the Qur’an says: “O you who believe! Do not consume your wealth among yourselves in vanities” (al-Baqara, 2/188; an-Nisa, 4/29). “O you who believe! Intoxicants and gambling, (consecrating) stones and (divination by) arrows are an abomination — of Satan’s handiwork; shun such an abomination, that thou mayest prosper. Satan’s plan is only to arouse enmity and hatred between you, by intoxicants and gambling, and to divert you from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer (al-Maida, 5/90, 91; Ibn Abidin Raddu’l Mukhtar , İstanbul 1307, V, p. 355; Hamdi Yazır, Hak Dini Kur’an Dini, İstanbul 1960, II, p. 766).
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Gambling and its harm
There is no difference between alcohol and gambling in terms of being forbidden and being a sin. Allah makes them haram in the same verse:
“O you who believe! Intoxicants and gambling, (consecrating) stones and (divining by) arrows are an abomination — of the handiwork of Satan; shun such an abomination, that you may succeed.” (al-Maida, 5/90).
All types of games of chance that cause benefit or harm are considered gambling. Gambling means getting someone’s money or property by mistake and stealing someone’s money or property intentionally. Gambling is a social disaster. It is always seen that this destructive evil, which is strictly forbidden by the religion of Islam, destroys many families. Those who gamble around a table until morning through the excitement caused by greed and ambition, lose their health, their wealth, their morals and their money; they lose their human sense. Those who win today will lose another day.
Wives, children and the poor are entitled to the money they lose in gambling. The money obtained through gambling is not legal.
If gambling becomes widespread, the social damage will increase. Work is replaced by laziness. Productivity in business is falling. Gambling brings evil deeds such as alcohol, lying, greed, grudge, revenge and murder.
Gambling also causes disturbances, disagreement and neglect in family life. There are many people who sell their religion, honor and country through gambling and enter into all kinds of sacred values.
Gambling becomes an addiction in a very short time, just like alcohol. It is very difficult to get rid of it. Therefore, gambling and alcohol are very dangerous kinds of habits.
All types of games of chance where you win or lose money, such as dice, card games, lottery, soccer pools, lotto, betting and sweepstakes are considered gambling.
All games of chance are primarily played for enjoyment and to pass the time. When man wins, he plays for the sake of pleasure and the ambition to win. If he loses, he plays to get back what he lost. Then he becomes a gambler. It should not be forgotten that those who lose everything at the gambling tables, who sell everything they have and live in debauchery and poverty, who destroy their wives and children, begin to gamble as a means of pleasure and entertainment in the beginning.
Protect each other from gambling
It is an important duty to refrain from gambling and also to protect those around us, especially our family members, from gambling. The duty to protect the family members from harmful and evil things and to educate them for a lifestyle desired by Allah and His Messenger is given to the head of the family by the Qur’an:
O you who believe, save yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is men and stones, over which are placed stern angels, who do not shrink from the execution of the commands they receive from Allah, but who do as they are commanded” (at-Tahrim, 66/6).
If games such as backgammon, chess, checkers, cards, tennis and billiards are played with the intention of gambling by risking money, they are also considered gambling. This shows how gambling is viewed in Islam.
Various hadiths
There are several hadiths of the Prophet (PBUH) that forbid backgammon: “One who plays backgammon is considered to have disobeyed Allah and His Messenger.” (Abu Dawud, Adab, 56; Ibn Majah, Adab, 43; Malik, Muwatta’, 6; Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad, IV, 394, 397, 400). “The state of one who plays backgammon and then performs the prayer is like the state of one who makes wudu with pus and the blood of a pig and then performs the prayer.” (Ahmad b. Hanbal, V, 370).
Acting on the general prohibition of backgammon in these hadiths, most of the scholars of Islam say that playing backgammon is not allowed. Ibn al-Musayyab and some other Islamic scholars believe that it is not haram to play backgammon if the intention is not gambling. Cards and dominoes are considered the same as backgammon.
The playing of chess
The game of chess, called “shatranj” in Arabic, appeared in the period of the Companions after the death of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH); therefore there is no hadith from the Prophet regarding chess. The Companions and the Tabiun scholars stated three views on chess:
According to the Companions and Tabioen scholars, such as Abdullah b. Abbas, Abu Hurayra, Ibn Shirin, Hisham b. Urwa, Said b. al-Musayyab, Said b. al-Jubayr, it is permissible to play chess.
According to Imam Shafii, chess is makruh tanzihi; according to Abu Hanifa, Malik and Ahmad b. Hanbal is haram.
Considering that chess is an intelligent game and brain sport rather than a game of chance, and that there is no clear prohibition about it, one comes to this conclusion. However, it is understood that the Companions equate it with backgammon. From Abdullah b. Umar has narrated the following: “Chess is worse than backgammon.” It is stated that Hz Ali considers it gambling. (Ibn Kathir, Tafsiru’l-Qur’ani’l-Azim, İstanbul 1985, III, 170). On the other hand, it is reported that Yahya b. Sad heard the following from Imam Malik: “There is no good in chess; it is makruh to play chess and other games of chance.” Imam Malik was reading the following verse while pronouncing that sentence: “…What (remains) besides the Truth but error? (Yunus, 10/32; see Malik, Muwatta, Ru’ya, 7). Checkers is a game like chess.
In the games of tennis and billiards, sport reigns supreme. They must be permissible unless some unlawful elements are added.
Conclusion
In conclusion, four conditions are held to be necessary in order for games played solely for relaxation, entertainment and enjoyment without the purpose of gambling to be religiously lawful:
a. They must not cause people to miss or delay fard prayers.
b. The people should not expect material benefits.
c. The players must refrain from pronouncing bad and unnecessary words during the game.
d. People should not waste their time playing so much that it cannot be regarded as relaxation and entertainment.
