I am in debt, can I gamble ?

· 26 Rajab 1440 AH2 min readFatwa 42199English

Question

Asalamualikum

I am from a middle class family, my father took loans from bank to provide

Higher class education, after completing our education we dont have any job to pay back hefty loans of very big amount , my father is in very old age my heart trembles by seeing his condition. Is it allowed to pay back loan money for me by playing online betting as it seems impossible to pay back loans as father doesnt want to sell ancestral land

Please help

Wasalamualikum warahmatullahi wabarkatuhu

Plz reply as soon as possible as my friend suggested me to bet online on sports

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

Muhtaram Brother,

We observe you are conscious of staying away from Haraam. That stems from your consciousness of Imaan. Your attitude is praiseworthy.

In principle, gambling and betting are strictly prohibited in Islam. [1]

Apart from gambling not being permissible, gambling comes with lots of grief and negative consequences, which is actually a lanaah (curse) from Allah Ta’ala.

Consider the following Aayaat:

Translation: O you who have Imaan! Indeed liquor, gambling. Idols and (distribution) by arrows are filth (vile acts) from the acts of Shaytaan, so abstain from them so that you may be successful (gain salvation in both worlds).

(Surah Al-Maaidah, Aayah 90)

Translation: They question you about (the permissibility of) liquor and gambling.

Say, in both is great sin (because of their ill effects) and some benefits for some man, but the sin is far greater than their usefulness.

(Surah Al-Baqarah, Aayah 219)

We advise you to recite the following duas:

Translation: O Allah, suffice me with Your lawful against Your prohibited, and make me independent of all those besides You.

Transliteration: Allāhummakfinī bihalālika `an harāmika, wa aghninī bi fadlika `amman siwāka.

(Jaami-Al-Tirmidhi, Chapter on Supplication)

Translation: O Allah! I seek refuge with You from worry and grief, from incapacity and laziness, from cowardice and miserliness, from being heavily in debt and from being overpowered by (other) men.

(Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Chapter on Supplication)

Translation: O Allah! I seek refuge with Thee from sin and debt.

(Saheeh Al-Muslim)

Recite the following Verse 70 times in the morning:

Translation: Allah is compassionate (merciful) towards his bondsmen (servants). He sustains whoever he wills, and He is the powerful, the mighty.

(Surah Al-Shoora, Verse 19)

We make dua Allah opens His doors of sustenance for you and provide you with all your requirements in a halaal manner. Aameen.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Muhammad I.V Patel

Student Darul Iftaa
Lusaka, Zambia

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

References (Arabic / Urdu sources)

يا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّمَا الْخَمْرُ وَالْمَيْسِرُ وَالْأَنْصابُ وَالْأَزْلامُ رِجْسٌ مِنْ عَمَلِ الشَّيْطانِ فَاجْتَنِبُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْخَمْرِ وَالْمَيْسِرِ قُلْ فِيهِمَا إِثْمٌ كَبِيرٌ وَمَنَافِعُ لِلنَّاسِ وَإِثْمُهُمَا أَكْبَرُ مِنْ نَفْعِهِمَا

اللَّهُمَّ اكْفِنِي بِحَلَالِكَ عَنْ حَرَامِكَ، وَأَغْنِنِي بِفَضْلِكَ عَمَّنْ سِوَاكَ

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَمِّ وَالْحَزَنِ، وَالْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ، وَالْجُبْنِ وَالْبُخْلِ، وَضَلَعِ الدَّيْنِ، وَغَلَبَةِ الرِّجَالِ ‏

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْمَأْثَمِ وَالْمَغْرَمِ

اللَّهُ لَطِيفٌ بِعِبَادِهِ يَرْزُقُ مَن يَشَاءُ ۖ وَهُوَ الْقَوِيُّ الْعَزِيزُ

[1] بدائع الصنائع في ترتيب الشرائع (5/ 127)

لِأَنَّهُ قِمَارٌ أَوْ لَعِبٌ وَكُلُّ ذَلِكَ حَرَامٌ (أَمَّا) الْقِمَارُ فَلِقَوْلِهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ {يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّمَا الْخَمْرُ وَالْمَيْسِرُ وَالأَنْصَابُ وَالأَزْلامُ رِجْسٌ} [المائدة: 90] وَهُوَ الْقِمَارُ كَذَا رَوَى ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ وَابْنُ سَيِّدِنَا عُمَرَ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ - وَرُوِيَ عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ وَسَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ وَالشَّعْبِيِّ وَغَيْرِهِمْ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ - أَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا الْمَيْسِرُ الْقِمَارُ كُلُّهُ حَتَّى الْجَوْزُ الَّذِي يَلْعَبُ بِهِ الصِّبْيَانُ وَعَنْ سَيِّدِنَا عَلِيٍّ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ - أَنَّهُ قَالَ الشِّطْرَنْجُ مَيْسِرُ الْأَعَاجِمِ وَعَنْ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - أَنَّهُ قَالَ «مَا أَلْهَاكُمْ عَنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ فَهُوَ مَيْسِرٌ»

المحيط البرهاني في الفقه النعماني (5/ 323)

صورة ذلك: أن يقول الرجل لغيره: تعال حتى نتسابق، فإن سبق فرسك، أو قال: إبلك أو قال: سهمك أعطيك كذا، وإن سبق فرسي، أو قال: إبلي، أو قال: سهمي أعطني كذا، وهذا هو القمار بعينه؛ وهذا لأن القمار مشتق من القمر الذي يزداد وينقص، سمي القمار قماراً؛ لأن كل واحد من المقامرين ممن يجوز أن يذهب ماله إلى صاحبه، ويستفيد مال صاحبه، فيزداد مال كل واحد منهما مرة وينتقص أخرى، فإذا كان المال مشروطاً من الجانبين كان قماراً، والقمار حرام، ولأن فيه تعليق تمليك المال بالخطر، وإنه لا يجوز

البحر الرائق شرح كنز الدقائق ومنحة الخالق وتكملة الطوري (8/ 554)

(وَحَرُمَ شَرْطُ الْجُعْلِ مِنْ الْجَانِبَيْنِ لَا مِنْ أَحَدِ الْجَانِبَيْنِ) لِمَا رَوَى ابْنُ عُمَرَ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا - «أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - سَبَقَ بِالْخَيْلِ وَرَاهَنَ» وَمَعْنَى شَرْطِ الْجُعْلِ مِنْ الْجَانِبَيْنِ أَنْ يَقُولَ إنْ سَبَقَ فَرَسُك فَلَكَ عَلَيَّ كَذَا، وَإِنْ سَبَقَ فَرَسِي فَلِي عَلَيْك كَذَا وَهُوَ قِمَارٌ فَلَا يَجُوزُ؛ لِأَنَّ الْقِمَارَ مِنْ الْقَمْرِ الَّذِي يُزَادُ تَارَةً وَيُنْقَصُ أُخْرَى وَسُمِّيَ الْقِمَارُ قِمَارًا؛ لِأَنَّ كُلَّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْ الْقِمَارَيْنِ مِمَّنْ يَجُوزُ أَنْ يَذْهَبَ مَالُهُ إلَى صَاحِبِهِ وَيَجُوزُ أَنْ يَسْتَفِيدَ مَالَ صَاحِبِهِ فَيَجُوزُ الِازْدِيَادُ وَالنُّقْصَانُ فِي كُلِّ وَاحِدَةٍ مِنْهُمَا فَصَارَ ذَلِكَ قِمَارًا وَهُوَ حَرَامٌ بِالنَّصِّ

Answered by
Muhammad I.V Patel
Checked & approved by
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
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