Chess

Chess is a two-player strategy board game played on a chessboard, a checkered gameboard with 64 squares arranged in an 8×8 grid. The game is played by millions of people worldwide. Chess is believed to have originated in India sometime before the 7th century.

184910

Chess . Husayn Wahid Khorasani

What is the perspective of Ayatollah Wahid Khorasani regarding the permissibility of playing chess?

Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 1 year ago

Ayatullah Shaikh Husain Waheed Khurasani who is a great scholar and leading Marje' Taqleed says that playing chess is definitely forbidden when it is played with betting, and even with out betting, playing chess is forbidden according to obligatory precaution.

Wassalam.

153198

Chess

Is it correct that according to Agha Sistani, playing chess is not allowed as per obligatory precaution, but we can seek guidance from another Marja, like Sayyid Khamenei, who permits playing chess?

No, it is not correct.

Wassalam.

153257

Chess

Is it true that playing chess is considered impermissible in Islam? If so, what is the reason for the prohibition?

We have authentic Hadeeths from the Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) and Ahlul Bayt (AS) clearly prohibiting chess which is a concrete evidence that playing chess is not permissible in Islam. Every impermissible act is dangerously harmful. We might not know the details of the harm but Allah (SWT) Knows everything and that is why He Made it Impermissible.

Wassalam.

113651

Chess . Islam

Is chess forbidden in Islam and if so why?

Ayatullah Sistani and Ayatullah Khoei and Ayatullah Sayyed Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr and most of our great scholars say that playing chess is forbidden, based on very clear evidence from the Prophet (SAWA) and Ahlul Bayt (AS). In Wasaa'il al-Shia , Volume 17, page 323 , you can see at least eight authentic Hadeeths stating that chess is forbidden,bwhile no single Hadeeth allowing chess. Some people claim that sime Ulama said that chess is allowed. That claim is not correct. Those Ulama never said that chess is always allowed but only if it is used and understood in the society as a mean to activate thinking. That is a conditional permission only under such situation and for those who do their Taqleed.

Every Mo'min after all must follow the verdict of his Marje' of Taqleed.

The question of : Why? Is the same for all the Islamic rules. All Islamic rules are based on the benefit for the human beings. Every forbidden act is very harmful whether we know the details of the harm or not. Why men are not allowed to wear gold or pure silk? Allah and His messenger and Ahlul Bayt know the harm. We believe in whatever Allah ordered the Prophet (SAWA) to convey to us.

People's opinions differ from time to time and due to different reasons, but true religions does not change.

Wassalam.

Chess . Islam

Is chess forbidden in Islam and if so why?

Zoheir Ali Esmail, Shaykh Zoheir Ali Esmail has a Bsc in Accounting and Finance from the LSE in London, and an MA in Islamic Studies from Middlesex University. He studied Arabic at Damascus University and holds a PhD... Answered 4 years ago

Bismillah

Thank you for your question. Jurists have come to different conclusions on the permissibility of playing chess based on traditions that indicate its impermissibility. For those that allow chess, the main thrust of the arguments I have seen is that while at the time these scriptural sources were proclaimed and recorded, chess was a tool for gambling and that is no longer the case. So chess was not forbidden as a game in itself, but that it was associated with gambling.

May you always be successful

107039

Chess . Haram . Gambling

Is playing chess Haram even if there is no gambling involved?

Zaid Alsalami, Shaykh Dr Zaid Alsalami is an Iraqi born scholar, raised in Australia. He obtained a BA from Al-Mustafa University, Qom, and an MA from the Islamic College in London. He also obtained a PhD from... Answered 4 years ago

Bismihi ta'ala

In regards to chess specifically, and playing it of course with no gambling, this is a fiqhi matter, where our esteemed Maraji' have different verdicts.

For example, A.U. Seyid Sistani (may Allah prolong his life) says that it is absolutely haram.
As for A.U. Seyid Khamenei (may Allah prolong his life), he says if it is commonly seen in the custom of people ('urf) as a gambling instrument, then it is haram, and if not, then it is halal.

You must refer to your Marja' taqleed for this fatwa.

And Allah knows best.

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Islam . Chess . Scholars . Gambling

I understand that playing any game that involves placing a bet is Haram in Islam. But why is chess considered Haram even when played without a bet? Is there a difference of opinion on this matter among the scholars?

Amina Inloes, Amina Inloes is originally from the US and has a PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of Exeter on Shi'a hadith. She is the program leader for the MA Islamic Studies program at the... Answered 5 years ago

It is because there are hadith specifically prohibiting chess.

Ayatollah Khamene'i allows chess if it is not being used for gambling, but in general the traditional view is that it is not allowed.

God knows best.

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Chess . Islam . Sunni-Shi'a

Is playing chess permissible according to Shia Islam?

Abbas Di Palma, Shaykh Abbas Di Palma holds a BA and an MA degree in Islamic Studies, and certifications from the Language Institute of Damascus University. He has also studied traditional Islamic sciences in... Answer updated 5 years ago

as salam alaikum

there are many ahadith forbidding playing chess for the believers and that is why most of the scholars have forbidden it. Other scholars have deduced that the prohibition is related to gambling and not to all cases of playing chess. There are relatively lengthy discussions on the topic and opinions are different in this regard.

In such cases, precaution is the safest option and more in harmony with the apparent meaning of many ahadith. And Allah knows the best.

With prayers for your success.

61325

Chess . Marja'

I understand that some Maraji' allow chess to be played as long we are not betting on it, whereas others forbid it entirely. Is this true? If so, why there is such a difference in their verdicts?

Bismihi ta'ala

As Muslims, we know that gambling is forbidden, and we also know that any instruments that have been made exclusively for gambling is also haram, whether betting is involved or not.

As for chess, there are numerous narrations from Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) that speak of chess in a negative reprehensible way. These traditions refer to chess as being bad not in itself as chess, but for 'gambling'.

This is where each Jurist, according to their Ijtihad, derives whether the ruling is applicable to chess and its prohibition, exclusively, regardless of betting on it or no. Or, if it is free of any betting and not seen as gambling at all, then it would be permissible.

Some say that chess is viewed as a mind game, and not as an instrument of gambling. Jurists who see chess in this particular way allow chess to be played, whereas there are jurists who, because of the many narrations, view chess itself to be haram.

The important point here is that this is similar to any other matter in fiqh, where each individual must refer back to their Marja' taqleed for their details and fatwas.

And Allah knows best.

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Chess

What is the ruling about chess? I am specially curious about reasons to prohibit it, if any.

Sayyed Mohammad Soleimanpanah, Dr. Soleimanpanah obtained his Ph.D in the field of sociology from the University of British Columbia in Canada, his M.A. in anthropology from Tehran University, and his B.A. in Sociology from East... Answer imported 7 years ago

In posing questions such as this it is helpful to mention whose ruling we are interested in. If the interest is in the general treatment of the issue in Shi'a Fiqh, the generality usually in the area of Fiqh and Naqhl (narration) brings ambiguity. Having said this I believe ruling regarding chess is different depending on whose ruling we are talking about.

As it has already been mentioned according to Imam Khomeini playing chess as a sport or hobby is not Haram. Since the questioner is more interested in knowing the reasons for prohibition, I think a correspondence between Imam Khomeini and one of his student, Ayt.Ghadiry might be of some help but a more elaborated discussion of the reasons must be sought in more specialized sources and from scholars who are more qualified in the field of Fiqh.

We may want to know that someone wrote to Imam Khomeini and said that chess was considered a sport and it was a mental exercise and he wanted to know if playing chess was Jayz according to Imam. Imam Khomeini wrote that it was Jayz and the reply was widely broadcasted in Iranian Mass Media then. Ayt. Ghadiry in a letter to Imam Khomeini wrote that he thought Imam was wrong in permitting chess because chess is widely played for gambling purposes and had no significant sport function. This letter was also publicized widely by those who found the ruling wrong. In yet another publicized letter Imam Khomeini wrote a very short answer to Ayt. Ghadiry that he was surprised to read his letter and that expected more competency in Fiqh from him. He told Ayt. Ghadiry that by then he should have known that ruling in Figh are context bound and answers are only meaningful in the context of the questions being asked. And if the original assumptions of the question were different the ruling would be different (please note that this a free translation from my memory.)

As we see the basis for this ruling was whether chess is a means of Haram (gambling) or not. There is a Mabna (theoretical foundation) in Fiqh which some scholars accept and some do not it says that any means of a Haram activity is Haram itself, those who do not believe in this theorem do not consider playing chess Haram if the purpose of playing is not gambling,

In his letter to Ayt. Ghadiry Imam Khomeini mentioned to him that Ayt. Khonsari, who was one the most mottaghi (righteous) person he has seen, did not consider playing chess Haram. Apparently Ayt. Araki did not believe in the above theorem since as I remember he did not consider playing cards Haram given that gambling was not involved in the play, while we know cards are widely played for gambling purposes. However it is clear from Imam Khomeini's correspondence with Ayt. Ghadiry that had chess been predominantly a gambling instrument he would have considered it as Haram even if in individual cases it was not used for gambling purposes.