Allah, the Exalted, created us to order us to worship Him and bestowed upon us countless blessings. He made it obligatory upon us to thank Him through believing in Him and obeying Him by fulfilling what He ordained and avoiding what He prohibited. The obligatory thanking cannot be fulfilled except in this manner. Thank God by not using the endowment He has blessed you with in His disobedience.
Among the things that Allah has clearly forbidden is gambling. Our Lord, the Exalted, says in the Holy Qur’an:
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِنَّمَا ٱلۡخَمۡرُ وَٱلۡمَيۡسِرُ وَٱلۡأَنصَابُ وَٱلۡأَزۡلَٰمُ رِجۡسٞ مِّنۡ عَمَلِ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنِ فَٱجۡتَنِبُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُفۡلِحُونَ 90 إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُ أَن يُوقِعَ بَيۡنَكُمُ ٱلۡعَدَٰوَةَ وَٱلۡبَغۡضَآءَ فِي ٱلۡخَمۡرِ وَٱلۡمَيۡسِرِ وَيَصُدَّكُمۡ عَن ذِكۡرِ ٱللَّهِ وَعَنِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةِۖ فَهَلۡ أَنتُم مُّنتَهُونَ 91
Which means:
“O you who have believed, alcoholic drinks, gambling, the hung idols, and al-azlam (i.e. the arrows by which the non-believers of Makkah used to seek luck or decision) are but appalment/filth amongst the evil acts of Satan, so avoid it so you may succeed. Satan only wants to cause between you animosity and hatred through alcoholic drinks and gambling and to prevent you from the Dhikr of Allah and especially from Prayer. So will you stop?”
(Surat Al-Ma’idah, Verses 90–91)
The word al-maysir is gambling. In this Verse, the prohibition of alcohol and gambling is emphasised in different ways:
- Beginning the Verse with إِنَّمَا
- Labelling them as رِجۡسٞ
Which means that the prohibitions mentioned are but filth/appalment
- Deeming it from the acts of Satan, and nothing good comes from him.
- Grouping alcoholic drinks and gambling with idol worshiping.
- Ordering the believers to avoid them, this order indicated that it is obligatory to avoid them.
- Making its avoidance from success, Allah said: فَٱجۡتَنِبُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُفۡلِحُونَ, which means: so, avoid it so you may succeed. If success is in avoidance, so what is in engaging in it? It is only great loss. For true success is attained only through the avoidance of what is forbidden.
- Allah ordered in the second Verse through a question which further emphasises the prohibition and entails severe warning فَهَلۡ أَنتُم مُّنتَهُونَ which means: So, will you stop? It is from the most powerful forms of warning from a matter, as if it was mentioned that you have heard what they both contain from the types of deterrents and warnings so are you, with all these deterrents, going to stop? Or are you still clinging to what you were upon, as if you had not been advised, as if you had not been warned?
Allah first grouped alcoholic drinks and gambling with idol worship and al-azlam then mentioned again alcoholic drinks and gambling alone because the address is to the believers. Allah warned them from what they used to do from drinking alcohol and gambling. He mentioned the idols that were hung up and al-azlam to emphasise the prohibition of drinking alcohol and gambling and to highlight that all of these acts are acts of those who associate partners to Allah, then He specified the 2 to show that they are the main focus.
In another Verse Allah the Exalted said:
۞ يَسۡـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلۡخَمۡرِ وَٱلۡمَيۡسِرِۖ قُلۡ فِيهِمَآ إِثۡمٞ كَبِيرٞ
Which means: They (your companions) ask you (O Muhammad) about engaging in alcoholic drinks and gambling, say: in engaging in them is great harm.
The scholars mention that the harm of gambling is that it distracts from the Dhikr of Allah especially from prayer, it causes enmity, animosity and excessive swearing, and calls to injustice and the denial of rights.
The prohibition of gambling is agreed upon by scholars, as reported by many scholars including Al-Jassas and Abu Hayyan Al-Andalusiyy.
O brothers and sisters in faith, we are talking about an issue that has deeply affected many individuals, families, and communities—an issue that may seem like a game, but in reality, it is a dangerous trap: gambling.
The harm and damage of gambling on individuals’ lives is clear. For if one gains money through gambling, it is wrongful consumption of others’ wealth which Allah warned from in the Qur’an by saying:
وَلَا تَأۡكُلُوٓاْ أَمۡوَٰلَكُم بَيۡنَكُم بِٱلۡبَٰطِلِ
If one loses money, the damage is apparent. It can lead to neglecting one’s obligatory duty to provide for one’s spouse and children due to their reliance on what they expect to acquire from gambling instead of working.
Dear Muslim brother, dear Muslim sister, if you have been inflicted with gambling, listen to me and accept this advice—perhaps Allah will benefit you through it. If your nafs tells you that gambling brings you a lot of money without effort and struggle, know that Allah has already decreed your sustenance. You will not receive more than what is apportioned to you, so take it through lawful means, and do not be deceived—for the gambler usually ends up with loss and bankruptcy.
What might start as a moment of thrill, a quick bet, or what some assume as a harmless “try,” can lead to physical, financial, and emotional destruction.
If your nafs tells you, “Just try once or twice, or just a few times and if you lose your money, stop gambling,” understand that it is rare for gamblers to stop after their first loss.
In Ṣaḥīḥ Al-Bukhāriyy, it is narrated that Ibn Az-zubayr, while delivering a sermon from the pulpit in Makkah, he said what means:
“O people! The Prophet ﷺ used to say: If the son of Adam were given a valley full of gold, he would love with it a second one. And if he were given a second, he would love with it a third. Nothing fills the son of Adam except soil. And Allah forgives those who repent.” The meaning of ‘nothing fills him except soil’ is that many people remain chasing the worldly matters until they die, and their body is finally filled with the soil of their own grave.
Satan decorates the hope of winning in the next time, the one after it, and the one after it. One may keep saying “just one more time,” then if he becomes bankrupt, that will lead him to obtain money through any means, without acknowledging from where he is acquiring the money, then he may turn to theft or other unlawful acts—even from their closest family. Some may even go so far as to abandon their own children and wife just to acquire some money to gamble with and to attain their unlawful pleasures, even if that ruins their lives and homes and makes him bankrupt.
Would any rational person willingly submit themselves to such a trial? Would your nafs comply and your mind consent to subject yourself to such a trial? I swear by Allah, no sane person who uses their sound mind would accept this for himself. Even if you say, “I don’t have a wife or children, so I won’t neglect an obligatory right,” beware— for indeed gambling may lead you to steal from the money of your own mother and your own father. Would you accept being among those who steal from their mother and father?
Ask yourself this question, “Who do I want to be obeying? My Lord, the One Who blessed me with endowments that which I could not count, from family community, friends, money, senses, organs …, or do I want to obey the devil who is my enemy? Who do I want to obey and who do I want to disobey? Do you want to be obeying the devil? The devil is your enemy so take him as your enemy. Allah the Exalted in the Verses recited earlier mentioned that the devil only wants to cause between you animosity and enmity through alcoholic drinks and gambling and to prevent you from the Dhikr of Allah especially Prayer. You are Allah’s slave, so obey your Lord.
Instead of wasting your wealth on gambling—an act that brings great harm—direct it towards charity, where it brings blessings, helps those in need. Donating to charity purifies your wealth and heart, while gambling only corrupts both. It can be a reason why your sins are forgiven. The Muslim who donates sincerely never loses, as for the one gambling, he always loses.
Furthermore, it is clear for you, dear brother and dear sister, what gambling causes from evil outcomes of hostility and hatred among the gamblers themselves. It may even lead to murder, as the devil lies in wait to instigate animosity and enmity between people to destroy them. As you are well aware, gambling leads to neglecting the Dhikr of Allah and the set Prayer times, and to being distracted from fulfilling one’s obligations. It also leads to many other evils and corruptions.
This Muslim gambler although Muslim, deserves to be tortured for a period of time in the Hereafter.
And if you happen to acquire money through gambling and consume it, you have put your body subject to Hellfire. Have you not heard the saying of the Prophet ﷺ: أيُّما لحمٍ نَبَتَ من حرامٍ فالنارُ أولى به
Which means: “Any flesh that has grown from unlawful sources, then Hellfire is more deserving of it.”
(Narrated by Al-Bayhaqiyy in Shu^ab Al-Iman). So, there is no goodness in a pleasure that is followed by Hellfire.
Eating from haram sources leaves very bad traces, you may see that in the attitude and treatment of your wife and kids that you fed from this money towards you. The righteous ones put their utmost effort to ensure what they are consuming is halal, there are a lot of stories proving this.
Dear brothers and sisters, the stomach is the first thing that rots from the person in his grave, so the wise person must be careful about what he lets enter his stomach, ensuring that it is only what is lawful. However, if one consumes from unlawful sources, then let him not blame anyone but himself.
It is not only forbidden to gamble, rather it is also forbidden to benefit from that money acquired from gambling. Whether that benefit comes in the form of food reaching the stomach, or clothes to wear, or benefiting by any other kind of use. This is because the transaction is invalid so all the money does not enter one’s ownership.
Al-Imam Muslim narrated in his Sahih that the Prophet ﷺ said what means: O people, indeed Allah is clear from all defects, and He does not accept from the deeds except that which is clear from invalidators and what prevents reward. And verily Allah has ordered the believers with what He has ordered the Prophets to do. For Allah the Almighty said what means: “O Prophets, eat from the lawful foods, and perform righteous deeds.”
Meaning if the Prophets are ordered to do so, then obviously those under them are ordered to do so. Eat from the lawful halal foods, do not eat from the haram unlawful foods, this includes what is eaten from the money acquired from gambling, and do good deeds. One can take from this that when the stomach contains unlawful (ḥarām) food, it is among the things that may cause the nullifying of the reward of one’s prayer although it is valid or may prevent the fulfillment of supplication.
In the continuation of this Hadith, the Prophet ﷺ said what means: and the Almighty has said (what means): “O you who believe! Eat from the lawful things that Allah has sustained you with.”
Then after that the Prophet ﷺ mentioned the case of a man who has spent a long time in his travel for the sake of worship, )such as performing Hajj, seeking knowledge(, while his hair is messy with dust on his body. The Prophet ﷺ was mentioning the case of this type of man, who is in a situation where it is apparent that he is truly in need, then he mentioned that he spreads out his hands to the sky supplicating: “O my Lord! O my Lord!,” i.e. he is saying: my Lord give me, my Lord protect me, O my Lord! O my Lord, increasing in supplication and repeating it.
Repeating the supplication is from the reasons why the supplication will be fulfilled, for one to increase saying O my Lord! O my Lord, because it indicates humility, weakness, also raising the hands is from those reasons.
In this hadith there many matters mentioned that are reasons for the supplication to be fulfilled, from them is:
- Travelling, and whenever it is prolonged, it becomes more likely to being fulfilled, for it is where the breaking of the nafs becomes more apparent, due to the extended absence from home and the endurance of hardships — and such humility is among the greatest reasons for the fulfilment of supplication.
- Raising the hands to the sky (the Qiblah of supplication)
- Persistently supplicating God by repeating that He is your Lord, by saying for example: O my Lord, O my Lord.
These reasons are mentioned in different Religious Texts as well.
The man who that Prophet ﷺ was talking about, had these matters, and he in the state of humility in appearance which reflects a greater display of one’s neediness to Allah, although with all of that, what did the Prophet ﷺ mention about him?
He mentioned that this was his situation however that was while the food in his stomach is from haram (unlawful) sources, what he drank is from haram (unlawful) sources, what he is wearing is from haram (unlawful) sources, and his body has been nourished by haram sources, so how can his supplication be fulfilled? i.e. it is highly unlikely for his supplication to be fulfilled.
For indeed, the unlawful haram corrupts the heart, and when the heart is corrupted, the body follows — and the fulfilment of the supplication mostly reflects the state of both. So, what then would be its outcome?
However, the Prophet ﷺ didn’t say that his supplication will not be fulfilled, for Allah is the Most Generous. This may be the situation of a slave, he eats from haram sources, he drinks from haram sources, his clothing is from haram sources, and his flesh has grown from haram sources, then he asks Allah, and Allah grants him what he asked for. This may happen, however the Prophet ﷺ is advising us to refrain from that and is teaching us that it is from the reasons why the supplication is not fulfilled.
And if what is mentioned in the hadith is about the situation of one who show humility, one who endures long travels for worshiping Allah, one who increases in supplication, that it is highly unlikely for his supplication to be fulfilled due to his situation, then how much worse is the case of one who is completely immersed in worldly affairs — while his food, drink, clothing, and nourishment are from unlawful sources— or with that one who is engaged in bringing injustice to others, or with that one is drowning in negligence of fulfilling his obligations?
We mentioned some reasons for the supplication to be fulfilled, however, among the main reasons for the fulfillment of supplication is piety which is done by fulfilling all the obligations and refraining from all prohibited acts. As for the one who does not fulfill the obligations rather, he is drowning in sinning and makes du^a’, then he is like the one who shoots an arrow from a bow without a bowstring, would the arrow reach the goal? However, as we mentioned, Allah is the Most Generous. One should take the pathway that has the reasons for his supplication to be fulfilled.
The one who does not guard his heart, his stomach, his wealth, and his limbs, nor adorns himself with knowledge, but instead wanders aimlessly doing unacceptable acts like a stray blind animal, such is like a blind man walking among pits, or a lost person in a wild land full of thorns and deadly creatures—so how long can he last before his destruction? His destruction would be near.
From the Verses stated earlier, we understand that gambling is from the major sins. Gambling has many forms.
As for the form of gambling that is unanimously agreed upon as forbidden, it is when two parties or more parties contribute money then the winner takes all or part of the loser’s money, this means that a 2-sided bet between two people is from gambling.
The win and loss that are referred to may be occur through:
- playing cards,
- horse racing,
- the draw of lottery tickets or the like,
All of these forms of gambling are prohibited and from the major sins, we seek refuge by Allah from such abhorrent acts.
Examples of gambling include:
- When two individuals agree that the winner between them of this game will receive a certain amount of money from the other.
- Who plays with the machines found in some entertainment venues, where money is inserted into the machine and the person activates it, and it displays numbers and images, and if the numbers or images match, a large amount of money sometimes falls to them. Know that this money is not permissible for them, nor does it enter their ownership, and that this is one of the types of gambling.
- What is known today in some countries as the ‘lottery’ or ‘powerball’, where a person buys a ticket with numbers on it, and then a draw takes place. If the numbers on that paper match what appears on the machine that was activated, they win money; otherwise, they lose the amount they paid for the ticket.
- What people do in horse racing, camel racing, dog racing, or the like, involving betting on them, i.e. the person chooses one of the competing horses. If the one they chose wins, they gain money; otherwise, they lose what they paid.
- What people do with fighting roosters, dogs, or other animals, where a person bets that this one will win and puts in money, and another bets on another animal and puts in money, so the one who placed his bet on the winner takes money from both sides, otherwise they lose their own money.
- When two people engage in a combat-style game and the spectators place bets on one of the fighters and pay money, then if the one they bet on wins, they take the money; otherwise, they lose their money.
- When they bet on some sport teams, such as in soccer, basketball, swimming, or other sports. If the team they bet on wins, they take the amount of money they betted along with extra money; otherwise, they lose their money.
- When two people compete and each says to the other, “Whoever comes first, the other will pay him such-and-such amount,” so then if one wins, he takes the other’s money.
How many people have lost all their money because of that, their homes have been ruined, and their lives have been destroyed. May Allah protect us and our families from deviancy.
Moreover, if two people compete and each says to the other, “Whoever comes first, the other will pay him such-and-such amount or give him such-and-such,” then this is considered gambling even if the competition involves horse riding, camel riding, or archery.
However, if the competition involves horse riding, camel riding, or archery and a third person joins not including himself in betting money rather he doesn’t pay anything, then we say it is permissible. As for racing on foot for example, it is not permissible, for the Prophet ﷺ said:
لا سَبَقَ إلّا في خُفٍّ أو نَصْلٍ أو حَافِر
Which means: “There is no accepted bet on a competition except (a specific type of bet on) what includes camels, arrows, or horses.”
(Reported by Ahmad, Al-Bayhaqiyy, Ibn Majah, At-tirmidhiyy, and others)
And the jurists have included under the exceptions what is similar to what is mentioned in the hadith, and there are further details on this in the books of jurisprudence.
Moreover, if what is being given is from one-side, from one party only, like one person saying, “Whoever does such and such from what is permissible, I will give them such and such,” this is not gambling; rather, it is considered a donation. Like how when two people race and one of them says to the other, “If you beat me, I will give you such-and-such,” intending it as a gift—not as a condition, and not as something compulsory—then it is permissible.
If this is understood, then warn your children from making two-sided bets between themselves, such as one saying to the other, “Do you bet with me that the matter will be as I say, or that this team will win against that team?”
The Day of Judgment is true, and it’s a day no one can escape, so fear Allah, O slaves of Allah.
Dear brothers and sisters, Allah is the Most Forgiving, the one who correctly repents from a sin it will be wiped away, repentance is an obligation immediately from all sins, whether minor or major. Its most important pillar is regret, which is feeling sorrow in the heart for committing the sin. However, if the regret is due to embarrassment in front of others or the loss of money in gambling, it is not considered true repentance. We all make mistakes, however the best of us are those who repent.
I conclude with the following: there are two types of people those who safeguard themselves by obeying their Lord, and those who ruin themselves by following their desires and the devil. Which one are you? So, protect yourself, my Muslim brother and sister, and do not destroy yourself for a perishing worldly pleasure.
And Allah knows best.
