The Prohibition of Playing Dice

Today is an era where games have become an object of pleasure for people across all age levels. Starting from small children, adolescents, adults, and even the elderly, many play them. This is aligned with the development of technology and information. Many consider games as entertainment, a tool to fill free time, or even as a means to strengthen solidarity. Previously, in the early 2000s or before, we were not unfamiliar with games like Ludo, Snakes and Ladders, Monopoly, and so on, which use dice as their medium. As children, we didn't feel uneasy about such games, and parents thought it was normal to buy those games for their children. On the other hand, many are still selling these games on the market, and now these games are also available online.

Certainly, as Muslims, we must be careful in providing entertainment and pleasure for our children. We must not, under the pretext of delighting a child, end up plunging our entire family into the Fire.

Regarding dice, the Messenger of Allah said:

"Whoever plays al-Nardashir (dice), it is as if he has stained his hand with the flesh and blood of a pig." (Reported by Muslim: 2260 from Buraydah).

The Prophet's saying:

"Whoever plays al-Nard (dice), then he has disobeyed Allah and His Messenger." (Reported by Abu Dawud: 4938, Ibn Majah: 3762 from Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari).

And the saying of the Messenger of Allah:

"Beware of these two marked cubical objects (dice), which are strongly prohibited. For indeed, both of them are the maysir (gambling tool) of the 'Ajam (non-Arabs)." (Reported by Ahmad in Al-Musnad: 4263 from 'Abdullah bin Mas’ud). [1]

The Prophet's sayings above clearly explain to us the prohibition of playing dice, whether accompanied by a wager or not. This is because the Prophet said: "Whoever plays dice...," which explains that the prohibition lies in the dice and the game itself, not the wager.

The Companions understood that dice is maysir (gambling) itself, even if not accompanied by a wager and even if it is merely a game. This is evident in their attitude and interpretation of maysir. The Companion 'Abdullah bin 'Umar said:

"The dice is the maysir (gambling)." (Reported by Al-Bayhaqi: 20957 from Nafi', the client of Ibn 'Umar).

The Companion 'Abdullah bin Az-Zubayr delivered a sermon in Makkah:

"O people of Makkah, information has reached me that some Quraysh men are playing a game called al-Nardashir(dice). Indeed, Allah 'Azza wa Jalla has said in His Book, 'O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants (al-khamr), gambling (al-maysir), [sacrificing on] stone altars (al-ansab), and divining arrows (al-azlam) are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it...' (Qur'an, Al-Ma'idah: 90). I swear by Allah 'Azza wa Jalla, I will not be presented with a man who plays this game except that I will punish him on his hair and skin, and I will give his spoils to whoever brings him to me." (Reported by Al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad: 1275 from Kulthum bin Jabr).

The Companion 'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin Al-'As said:

"The one who plays the two cubes (dice) for a wager (qimār) is like one who eats the flesh of a pig, and the one who plays them without a wager is like one who dips his hand into the blood of a pig." (Reported by Al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad: 1277 and Al-Bayhaqi: 20961 from 'Amr bin Shu'ayb from his father).

Umm 'Alqamah narrated, "News reached 'A'ishah that the occupants of her house possessed dice. 'A'ishah then wrote a letter to them [2] the content of which was:

"If you do not remove it (the dice), I will certainly expel you from my house." (Reported by Al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad: 1274 from 'Amr bin Shu'ayb from his father).

Some scholars have quoted an ijma' (consensus of scholars) on the prohibition of playing dice. Among them is Imam Ibn Qudamah Al-Hanbali:

"Hence, Ahmad (bin Hanbal) said, 'Dice is more severe than chess.' He only said that because of the textual evidence (nass) regarding dice, and the ijma' (consensus of scholars) on its prohibition, unlike chess." (Al-Mughni, 10/152).

Imam Al-Muzhiri Al-Hanafi said:

"The meaning of al-Nard is clearly known, and playing it is forbidden by agreement (of the scholars)." (Al-Mafatih fi Sharh Al-Mashabih, 5/65).

Al-Hafizh Al-Mundziri Asy-Syafi'i said:

"The majority of scholars have held the view that playing dice is forbidden, and some of our teachers have narrated an ijma' regarding its prohibition. However, they differed regarding playing chess." (At-Targhib wa At-Tarhib, 4/24).

Al-Hafizh Adz-Dzahabi Asy-Syafi'i said:

"They (the scholars) agreed upon the prohibition of playing dice because it is authentically narrated from the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam, that he said, 'Whoever plays al-Nardashir (dice), it is as if he has stained his hand with the flesh and blood of a pig.' Reported by Muslim." (Al-Kabair, 1/89).

Imam Abul 'Abbas Al-Qurtubi Al-Maliki said when explaining the above Hadith from Muslim:

"Because this act (dipping the hand) on the pig is forbidden. For he only meant by that the slaughtering (tadhkiyah) of the pig (for consumption), and that is forbidden by consensus (of the scholars). Therefore, there is no disagreement concerning it (the ruling on playing dice)." (Al-Mufhim, 5/560).

Some scholars include dice as one of the major sins. Ibn Hajar Al-Haytami Asy-Syafi'i wrote a chapter:

"The Four Hundred and Forty-Fourth Major Sin: Playing Dice." (Az-Zawajir, 2/329). [3]

Al-Hafizh Adz-Dhahabi also included it in his book Al-Kabair (The Major Sins), in the Chapter: The Twentieth Sin: Gambling. [4] Ar-Rafi'i quoted the saying of Imam Al-Haramayn:

"The Imam (Al-Haramayn) said, 'The correct view is that it (playing dice) is among the major sins.'" (Asy-Sharh Al-Kabir, 13/12).

Al-Mawardi Asy-Syafi'i said, "The majority of scholars hold that playing dice is makruh tahrim (prohibitively disliked) which causes the player to be considered a fasiq [5] (sinner) and his testimony to be rejected." (Al-Hawi Al-Kabir, 17/187).

Regardless of all this, the Messenger of Allah clearly issued a threat against those who play dice without stipulating the condition of a wager. Of course, if it involves a wager, it is even more forbidden. If playing dice carries such a great threat, should we still allow our children to play it?