The Prohibition of Khamr (Alcoholic Drinks) and Gambling in Islam

Understanding the Islamic Rulings on Intoxicants and Games of Chance

THE PROHIBITION OF KHAMR (ALCOHOLIC DRINK) AND GAMBLING

ALLĀH says:

يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْخَمْرِ وَالْمَيْسِرِ
They ask you concerning alcoholic drink and gambling.

That is, the believers ask you – O Messenger ﷺ – about the rulings on intoxicants and gambling. These were common practices during the jahiliyah and when Islam first came. It was as if there was some uncertainty about them, hence they asked about the rulings on them. So ALLĀH commanded His Prophet ﷺ to explain to them the benefits and harms that they entailed. This was a precursor to the prohibition on them, which was inevitable.

قُلْ فِيهِمَا إِثْمٌ كَبِيرٌ وَمَنَافِعُ لِلنَّاسِ وَإِثْمُهُمَأ أَكْبَرُ مِن نَّفْعِهِمَا
Say: In them is great sin, and some benefit for people, but the sin is greater than the benefit.

ALLĀH tells us that the sin and harm that result from them, such as loss of reason and wealth, preventing people from remembering ALLĀH and praying, and the enmity and hostility that they may create are greater than the benefits that people think come, from them, such as making money by dealing in intoxicants and what they gain from gambling, and the pleasures they get when indulging in them. This statement is aimed at deterring people from them, because the wise person will try to attain that which is clearly of benefit and will seek to avoid that which does more harm than good.

But because they were so used to them, it was difficult to make them give them up all at once. Hence this verse came as a precursor to the prohibition which is mentioned in the verse in which ALLĀH says:

یَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوۤا۟ إِنَّمَا ٱلۡخَمۡرُ وَٱلۡمَیۡسِرُ وَٱلۡأَنصَابُ وَٱلۡأَزۡلَـٰمُ رِجۡسࣱ مِّنۡ عَمَلِ ٱلشَّیۡطَـٰنِ فَٱجۡتَنِبُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُفۡلِحُونَ
O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants (all kinds of alcoholic drinks), gambling, ˹sacrificing on˺ stone altars ˹to other than ALLĀH˺, and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful. {Surah Al-Māʾidah: 90}

This is by the kindness, mercy and wisdom of ALLĀH. Hence when this verse was revealed, ‘Umar said, “We have given them up, we have given them up.”

With regard to khamr (alcoholic drink), this word refers to any intoxicant that affects the mind, no matter what kind of substance it is. Gambling refers to any contest in which one of the two sides pays the other, such as dice games and chess, or any verbal or physical contest in which prizes are awarded, apart from horse and camel races and archery. These types of contests are permissible, because they help with jihad; hence the Lawgiver granted a concession allowing them.

{Tafsi‌r As-Sa’di}

#sadi #baqarah (2:219)