Sports and Entertainment in Islam

By Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani
Translated by Zameelur Rahman
Zuhayr ibn Harb narrated to me: ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Mahdi narrated to us: from Sufyan: from ‘Alqamah ibn Marthad: from Sulayman ibn Buraydah: from his father: that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said:

“He who played backgammon is like one who dyed his hand with the flesh and blood of swine.” (Sahih Muslim)

His statement “dyed his hand with the flesh and blood of swine”: Al-Qurtubi said, “This is an allusion to sacrificing and slaughtering it while [it is know that] its slaughter is prohibited (haram).” Al-Nawawi said, “It is an allusion to eating it because the one who consumes swine his hand is polluted by the flesh of swine and if he slaughters it his hand is polluted by its blood.”

Whatever [the case], the hadith proves the impermissibility of playing backgammon, and the ‘ulamahave agreed on this with the exception of what was narrated from Ibn al-Mughaffal, Ibn al-Musayyab and Abu Ishaq al-Marwazi as [mentioned] in Nayl al-Awtar (8:85).

The majority have analogised it to chess, thus taking the view of its impermissibility also. Al-Haskafi said in al-Durr al-Mukhtar:

Playing backgammon is prohibitively disliked, and likewise chess … al-Shafi’i permitted it as did Abu Yusuf according to one narration, and the commentator of al-Wahbaniyyah versified this and said:

There is no harm in chess, which is one narration transmitted

From the great scholar, the Qadi of the East and the West (i.e. Abu Yusuf)

This is when there is no gambling, and no persistence, and one does not forsake an obligation, for otherwise it is prohibited by consensus. (See Radd al-Muhtar 6:394)

Moreover, although al-Shafi’i (may Allah have mercy on him) did not take the view of the prohibition of chess, it is however disliked (makruh) even according to him, as was explicated by al-Nawawi, although its reprehensibility is less than the reprehensibility of backgammon.

It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas, Ibn Umar, Abu Musa al-Ash’ari, Abu Sa’id and ‘A’ishah (Allah be pleased with them) that they disliked chess. It was related in Daw’ al-Nahar from Ibn ‘Abbas, Abu Hurayra, Ibn Sirin, Hisham Ibn ‘Urwah, Ibn al-Musayyab and Ibn Jubayr (Allah be pleased with them) that they deemed it permissible. This was [mentioned] in Nayl al-Awtar (8:95), but I did not find the transmission from them in the books of hadith.

The Ruling of Entertainment (malahi) and Sports (al’ab) in the Shari’ah

As regards to the ruling of entertainment and sports in general, my teacher and my father ‘Allamah Mufti Muhammad Shafi’ (may Allah have mercy on him) compiled an independent treatise on it, published in his book Ahkam al-Qur’an. I will summarise in what follows the conclusions that he reached after enumerating the texts narrated on the subject, by quoting certain of his different statements:

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Source:deoband.org

Aulad say sulook

Source: Zarb-e-momin

source:al-islam

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Salâm or Greetings

1. Inculcate the habit of greeting each other by saying  "As salâmu ‘alaykum" and reply by saying "Wa ‘alaykumus salâm".  All other methods of greeting are nonsensical. 2. The person who greets first receives more reward. 3. When a person conveys someone's salâm to you, reply by saying "‘Alayhim wa ‘alaykumus salâm". 4. If one person from a group of people makes salâm, it will suffice on behalf of the rest. Similarly, if one person in a group  replies, it will suffice on behalf of the rest. Additional notes: It is prohibited to bow when greeting by hand. If you are at a distance and you greet someone or  that person greets you, it will be permissible to use your hand.  However, you should also make a verbal salâm or reply.  Muslim children who study in government schools should  not greet in methods that are adopted by the west and non-Muslims. Instead, they should greet the teachers according to the Islamic method (i.e. if the teachers are  Muslims). If the teacher is not a Muslim, one should merely say "salâm" or "As salâmu ‘alâ manit taba'al huda". The words "As salâmu ‘alaykum" should not be used for  the kuffâr. These rules apply to all Muslims.  Bahishti Zewar