Gambling

[bamalli]

All Muslims are aware that Islam prohibits gambling. The prohibition is
clearly stated in the Qur'an as well as in many Hadiths. The
Hadiths, which often illustrate the meaning of the Qur'anic text,
provide further explanation of its applicability, correct people's
misunderstanding, and clarify its scope.

All societies have different forms of gambling, in accordance with the
prevailing customs, resources and useful articles they have. These are
all grouped together in Islam under the heading maysir, which we
translate as "games of chance", where the result depends on
chance or luck, rather than any skill the players have. The types that
the Arabs practiced before Islam are clearly mentioned so that they
would serve as examples for others practiced by other communities, which
naturally have the same Islamic verdict of prohibition.

Ibn Abbas mentions one form of gambling that prevailed in pre-Islamic
days: "It used to be asked, `Where are those who would join in
gambling for a camel? Ten people would enrol, and they would buy a camel
for ten newborn camels to be handed over at the time when they are
weaned. They will then draw lots, and one would lose, leaving the camel
for the remaining nine. They go on drawing lots until the camel is
settled on one of them, while the rest would have to give one newborn
camel for nothing, at the time of weaning. This is indeed maysir."
(Related by Al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad).

This sort of game provided entertainment and excitement as the
participants went about excluding one of their number at a time. It
could have dragged on for sometime, so as to generate public
participation and support to one or the other of the players. The winner
at the end would have had a very exciting time. But here the number of
losers is limited to nine, while in modern games of chance the number
goes significantly higher. Besides, to the Arabs in pre-Islamic days,
this sort of game was a source of pride, as the winner did not use the
camel he wins for any purpose. He would slaughter it and give all its
meat to the poor and penniless.

In a sense, this was similar to national lotteries which we see in many
countries. Very large prizes are given to winners who choose the winning
numbers. These are normally selected at random and entered in accordance
with the rules of the game. If they are drawn at the time when the
result is declared, then the person who chose them is given a
substantial prize. The rest of the money is used by the government in
support of good causes. Many are the charities, museums, research
establishments which benefit from a share of the lottery money. Yet
Islam does not permit this. It is totally forbidden.

The point about lottery and similar games that give the proceeds or a
portion of them to good causes is that people are motivated only by the
desire to win a large sum of money for themselves. They are not thinking
of the good causes when they buy their lottery ticket. They only think
of the great prospect that would open before them if they win. Moreover,
when the government runs a lottery to support "good causes" it
assumes that society is devoid of goodness and that people would not
donate to such good causes unless they dwindle before them the prospect
of winning a large amount of money. Islam prefers instead to enhance the
motives to do good among its followers, so that they seek to win
God's pleasure, rather than an amount of money, however large it may
be.

The Qur'an describes all games of chance as an "abomination
devised by Satan" (5: 90) to highlight its effect on participants
and society. Hence, its prohibition is not in doubt. We also note that
the view of early Muslims, such as the rightly-guided caliphs, was very
strict on it. A report by Rabeeah ibn Abdullah ibn Al-Hadeer, a
distinguished and reliable person who was born during the Prophet's
time and is considered among the best of tabieen, i.e. successors to the
Prophet's companions, mentions: "Two men gambled over two
roosters during Umar's reign. Umar ordered that roosters be killed.
A man from the Ansar said to him, `would you kill a community of
God's creation which glorifies Him?' Umar did not proceed with
his order." (Related by Al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad).

This is an example of the seriousness with which all gambling was viewed
in the early period of Islam. When two people wanted to engage in a game
of cockfighting he wanted to prevent this ever happening again by
killing the birds used for such a purpose. Needless to say, the birds
have no say in organizing the fight or what people gamble with. They are
indeed the victims, as in a cockfight both birds suffer a great deal,
and one or both may die as a result.

Yet people are always willing to risk their money in the hope of winning
a larger sum. The Prophet shows a good way to overcome this temptation.
Abu Hurayrah quotes the Prophet as saying: "Whoever of you swears
and (unwittingly) includes in his oath Al-Lat and Al-Uzza should say,
`there is no deity other than God', and whoever says to a
friend, `let us bet', should give the money to charity."
(Related in all six authentic anthologies)

The first point in this Hadith mentions a mistake that the new Muslims
could unwittingly make. They might, by the force of habit, include the
two main idols that the Arabs used to worship before Islam in their
oaths. The Prophet tells them that anyone who says this unwittingly
should follow it by confirming his belief in God's oneness,
repeating the first part of the main declaration we say to state that we
are Muslims, i.e. La ilaha illa Allah. Thus, the person concerned
confirms his belief in God's oneness and renders the inclusion of
those idols in his oath as meaningless words.

The Prophet also gives us an order that anyone who suggests a bet,
risking some money for any reason, should give that money in charity.
This atones for his mistake and earns him some reward for his money.
Thus, he ensures that he wins, because the reward he gains for his
charity is certainly greater than any amount he could win as a result of
betting or gambling.