Gambling (Arabic: القمار) is a game in which the parties bet on some money or property to be paid to the winner. In Islamic jurisprudence, gambling is forbidden. Jurists have, among other things, appealed to verse 90 of Qur’an 5 to show the forbiddance of gambling. According to this verse, gambling is characterized as a defilement from the work of Satan.
Jurists do not forbid all kinds of betting. They appeal to certain hadiths to show that betting for riding races, archery and fencing does not count as gambling. According to their fatwas, it is forbidden to play with instruments of gambling, regardless of whether it involves betting
Jurisprudential Definition
In books of jurisprudence, different definitions of gambling are offered. According to al-Shaykh al-Ansari, gambling consists in playing with certain instruments in which something is bet on (to be paid to the winner)
Other jurists believe that gambling consists in playing with gambling instruments, whether or not it involves betting.. In his Mustalahat al-fiqh, Ali Mishkini defines gambling as a game in which the loser is required to pay something to the winner
However, not all cases of betting are considered by jurists as forbidden. According to their fatwas, betting for riding, archery, and fencing is not forbidden. These games are referred to in jurisprudence as “sabq” (riding race) and “rimaya” (archery)
Jurisprudential Ruling
According to al-Shaykh Murtada al-Ansari and Muhammad Hasan al-Najafi, jurists have consensus over the forbiddance of gambling, and it is evidenced by the Qur’an and mutawatir hadiths.
The verse cited for the forbiddance of gambling is verse 90 of Quran 5 in which gambling is regarded as a defilement from work of Satan: “indeed, intoxicants, gambling (Arabic word in the verse: al-maysir), [sacrificing on] stone alters [to other than Allah], and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan”
According to hadiths, the word, “al-maysir” in this verse refers to gambling. For instance, according to a hadith cited in al-Kafi, Imam al-Baqir (a) said: “when this verse was revealed, the Prophet (s) was asked what ‘maysir’ was, and he replied: everything with which one gambles”. Moreover, in this book, al-Kulayni quoted Imam al-Rida (a) as saying that “maysir” is gambling
Instruments
Gambling instruments are instruments usually used for purposes of gambling. In jurisprudential works, things such as chess, backgammon, cards, and billiards are discussed as gambling instruments.
According to the fatwas of the majority of jurists, it is forbidden to play with gambling instruments, whether or not it involves betting. Moreover, jurists forbid the construction, sale, purchase and renting of gambling instruments
Jurists do not generalize the jurisprudential ruling of gambling to betting in riding races such as horse-riding and camel-riding, as well as archery and fencing. They appeal to certain hadiths to show that these cases do not count as gambling, although they involve betting
