Fatwa ID: 06939

 

Answered by: Maulana Ousman Haye

 

Question:

 

Is playing chess permissible?

 

 

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

 

Answer:

 

Playing games such as Backgammon, Chess, or Cards are all activities that people play for pass time and which makes people negligent of their obligations towards Allah (swt).

 

The blessed Companions of the Messenger of Allah (Allah be pleased with them all) used to explicitly prohibit the playing of chess, and it is obvious that they must have heard this from the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) himself. Sayyiduna Abu Musa al-Ash’ari (Allah be pleased with him) said: “Only a sinner plays chess.”

 

Also, It has been reported from the Messenger of Allah (peace & blessing be upon him) that: “Cursed is the one who plays Chess, and the one who looks towards it (watches it) is like the eater of swine’s flesh.”

 

The reason for its extreme dislike is because such activities become a common reason for people to miss their prayers and a cause for shortcomings in the fulfillment of other obligatory actions. This is why the great Hanafi jurist, Imam al-Haskafi (Allah have mercy on him) states:

 

“It is prohibitively disliked (makruh tahrimi) to play backgammon and similarly chess.”

 

However, if one is gambling, consistently playing, or is negligent of his obligation because of playing, then it will be haram for him to play.

 

Therefore, one should avoid playing chess at all times. The reason is that playing chess inevitably wastes a lot of time and distracts one from religious and other worldly obligations. One should spend his time on such activities which will benefit him in this life and the hereafter.

 

 

 

Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.

Written by Maulana Ousman Haye

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham

 

 

 

أنَّ أبا موسى الأشعريَّ قال : لا يلعبُ بالشطرنجِ إلا خاطئٌ .

(هداية الرواة: 4437)

 

مَلعونٌ من لعبَ بالشَّطَرنجِ والنَّاظرُ إليهم كالآكلِ لحمَ الخنزيرِ

(نيل الأوطار: 8/259)

 

(وَ) كُرِهَ تَحْرِيمًا (اللَّعِبُ بِالنَّرْدِ وَ) كَذَا (الشِّطْرَنْجِ) بِكَسْرِ أَوَّلِهِ وَيُهْمَلُ وَلَا يُفْتَحُ إلَّا نَادِرًا وَأَبَاحَهُ الشَّافِعِيُّ وَأَبُو يُوسُفَ فِي رِوَايَةٍ وَنَظَمَهَا شَارِحُ الْوَهْبَانِيَّةِ فَقَالَ:

وَلَا بَأْسَ بِالشِّطْرَنْجِ وَهِيَ رِوَايَةٌ … عَنْ الْحَبْرِ قَاضِي الشَّرْقِ وَالْغَرْبِ تُؤْثَرُ

وَهَذَا إذْ لَمْ يُقَامِرْ وَلَمْ يُدَاوِمْ وَلَمْ يُخِلَّ بِوَاجِبٍ وَإِلَّا فَحَرَامٌ بِالْإِجْمَاعِ.

(رد المحتار، ج٦، ص٣٩٤، دار الفكر)