What Is Gambling in Islam? Quran & Sunnah Evidence, Rulings & Modern Examples
•By Muslim Economist
Artikel ini juga tersedia dalam Bahasa Melayu
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Gambling is not just about casinos, slot machines, or lottery numbers. In Islam, the concept of gambling - known as maysir and qimar - is far broader than what most people assume. In fact, there are everyday activities carried out by children and adults that actually fall under the category of gambling without them realizing it.
In this article, we will examine the definition of gambling according to Islam, the evidence from the Quran and Sunnah, views of classical scholars, and modern examples that many overlook - from gachapon and Pokemon cards to NFTs and eraser battles at school.
Gambling (maysir/qimar) is any activity involving a wager where one party gains and another loses, with the outcome depending on luck or chance. Islam firmly prohibits gambling through explicit Quran verses and hadiths of the Prophet (peace be upon him). This prohibition covers all forms of gambling - whether traditional or modern - because it involves exploitation, injustice, and harm to individuals and society.
Islamic scholars distinguish between two key terms related to gambling:
Maysir comes from the Arabic word "yusr" meaning ease. It refers to acquiring wealth in an easy manner without appropriate effort. According to Imam al-Qurtubi in his tafsir al-Jami' li Ahkam al-Quran, maysir encompasses all forms of games that involve wagering property.
Qimar specifically refers to betting between two or more parties, where the losing party must surrender something to the winner. Imam Ibn Qudamah in his book al-Mughni defines qimar as: "Every game that involves a wager, where some gain and others lose."
Imam al-Nawawi in al-Majmu' also affirms that qimar and maysir carry the same meaning - both are haram and fall under the prohibition mentioned in the Quran.
The prohibition of gambling in the Quran was revealed in stages, reflecting Allah's wisdom in educating humanity:
"They ask you (O Muhammad) about wine and gambling. Say: In both there is great sin and some benefit for people. But their sin is greater than their benefit." (Surah al-Baqarah, 2:219)
At this stage, Allah acknowledges that gambling has its benefits - such as monetary gain for the winner. However, its sin far outweighs those benefits.
"O you who believe! Indeed, khamr (intoxicants), maysir (gambling), ansab (sacrificing for idols), and azlam (divining arrows) are abominations of Satan's doing. So avoid them that you may be successful." (Surah al-Ma'idah, 5:90)
"Satan only wants to cause between you animosity and hatred through intoxicants and gambling, and to avert you from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer. So will you not desist?" (Surah al-Ma'idah, 5:91)
Notice that in this verse, gambling is mentioned alongside alcohol and pre-Islamic practices - showing how serious this sin is in the sight of Allah.
Besides the Quran, there are several hadiths that reinforce the prohibition of gambling:
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever says to his companion, 'Come, let me gamble with you,' then he should give in charity." (Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim)
This hadith shows that merely uttering the word "gamble" already requires kaffarah (expiation) through charity. This demonstrates how deeply Islam detests the culture of betting, even in its mildest form.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) also forbade playing with dice (nard), saying: "Whoever plays with nard (dice), it is as if he dipped his hand in the flesh and blood of a pig." (Narrated by Muslim)
The great scholars of Islam discussed the issue of gambling extensively in their works:
In his monumental work Ihya' Ulumiddin, Imam al-Ghazali explains that gambling is a means of acquiring wealth through batil (invalid) means. He emphasized that wealth obtained through gambling is haram because it involves taking others' property without a fair exchange and without genuine consent.
Al-Ghazali also connects gambling to the corruption of the heart and soul - it cultivates greed, excessive love of the world, and dependence on luck rather than effort and tawakkul (trust) in Allah.
In al-Mughni, Ibn Qudamah provides a clear definition of qimar: "It is every game in which both parties cannot escape either gaining or losing." He established an important principle - if in any activity, participants must either profit or lose with no third option, then it is gambling.
Ibn Taymiyyah in Majmu' al-Fatawa broadens the definition of gambling to include all forms of transactions that contain elements of wagering. He states: "Every transaction whose outcome depends solely on luck without skilled effort falls under maysir."
Imam al-Alusi in his tafsir lists the harms of gambling in detail: consuming others' wealth unjustly, potentially leading to theft, corrupting the soul, wasting family resources, committing indecent acts, and generating enmity whether hidden or open.
Based on scholarly analysis, an activity is classified as gambling when it fulfills the following elements:
If an activity contains all four of these elements, it is classified as gambling under Islamic law - regardless of its form, name, or platform.
This is the most interesting part and may surprise many readers. Let us analyze several modern activities using the scholarly criteria above:
Gachapon machines (mystery toy capsules) and gacha games in mobile apps involve paying money to obtain a random item. You don't know what you will get - it could be a worthless common item, or an extremely valuable rare item.
Why does it resemble gambling?
The Muzakarah of the National Fatwa Committee of Malaysia has ruled that loot box and gacha elements in video games are haram because they contain gambling elements.
Buying sealed Pokemon card packs (sealed booster packs) also contains gambling elements. You pay a fixed price but don't know what cards you will get. Some cards are worth hundreds of ringgit, while most are nearly worthless.
Analysis:
This does not mean all Pokemon card purchases are haram - buying individual cards (single cards) where you know what you are buying is permissible. The problem lies in the mystery element and the wagering nature of sealed packs.
Purchasing NFTs, especially during the "mint" phase where buyers don't fully know what they will receive (blind mint), contains significant maysir elements. NFT prices fluctuate wildly - some rise thousands of percent, others drop to zero.
Gambling elements in NFTs:
This is an example very close to the lives of Malaysians. Eraser battles where children compete by flicking erasers - if you lose, your eraser is taken by the winner.
This is gambling in its simplest form:
Even though the value is small, Islam does not distinguish between big and small gambling. The principle remains the same - transferring ownership through wagering is haram.
Playing marbles can also become gambling if it involves wagering. If children play marbles and the loser must surrender their marbles to the winner, it contains elements of qimar.
However, if marbles are played purely for fun without any wagering - nothing is lost or won - then it is permissible. The key factor is whether or not there is an element of wagering.
Loot boxes sold in video games (Fortnite, FIFA Ultimate Team, Genshin Impact) use the same mechanism as slot machines - pay, spin, hope for the best item. Research published in the journal Addictive Behaviors found that players obsessed with loot boxes behave more like gamblers than regular gamers.
This is a frequently asked question: "If I enter a competition and pay an entry fee, is that gambling?"
The answer depends on several conditions. The Office of the Federal Territory Mufti has explained this matter in detail:
Ask this question: "Is my money at risk of being lost depending on whether I win or lose?" If yes, it most likely contains gambling elements. If not (for example: entry fees for operational costs, with prizes from sponsors), then it is permissible.
According to Maktabah al-Bakri, Imam al-Nawawi affirms that competitions involving skill such as horse racing, archery, and knowledge contests are permissible in Islam - as long as they do not involve wagering property between participants.
The prohibition of gambling in Islam is not without reason. Scholars list several important wisdoms:
Gambling causes unjust transfer of wealth. Islam protects wealth as one of the five essential matters (al-dharuriyyat al-khams) that must be preserved: religion, life, intellect, lineage, and wealth.
As mentioned in Surah al-Ma'idah verse 91, gambling breeds enmity and hatred among people. The losing party feels resentful, while the winning party may become arrogant.
Gambling corrupts the mind through addiction and irrational thinking. It also damages the soul by cultivating greed, laziness, and over-reliance on luck alone.
Gambling diverts people's energy and time away from productive activities. Islam encourages its followers to seek sustenance through halal effort - not through shortcuts based on chance.
Gambling addiction is among the leading causes of family breakdown. Money that should go toward providing for a wife and children is wasted at the gambling table - a phenomenon that Bank Negara Malaysia and various welfare agencies frequently report.
Maysir refers to the general concept of acquiring wealth easily without appropriate effort, while qimar specifically refers to betting between two or more parties. In practice, scholars often regard both as synonymous and both are haram.
If you pay money for a lucky draw ticket and that money is at risk of being lost (you receive nothing if you don't win), then it contains gambling elements. However, if every buyer is guaranteed to receive something worth more than the ticket price, it may be permissible depending on the structure of the draw.
Claw machines that require payment and where the outcome depends on chance (the machine is deliberately set to make winning difficult) contain maysir elements. You pay money but will most likely receive nothing.
If a paid quiz pools participants' money and gives it to the winner, it is gambling. If prizes are provided by sponsors and entry fees go toward operational costs, it is permissible.
Yes. The hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) clearly shows that merely uttering the word "gamble" already requires charity as expiation. Islam does not distinguish between serious and casual betting - the principle remains the same.
The profit of a few comes from the losses of many others. This is not "win-win" - it is an exploitative system where the majority must lose so the minority can gain. Islam requires every transaction to be fair and mutually beneficial.
There is scholarly debate on this matter. Generally, haram money needs to be disposed of - and channeling it toward welfare is one method permitted by some scholars. However, it is NOT charity that earns reward - it is a process of disposing of haram money.
There are scholarly views that equate conventional insurance with gambling elements because it involves uncertainty (gharar) - you pay premiums but may never make a claim. This is why Islam introduced takaful as a Shariah-compliant alternative.
Gambling in Islam is not just about casinos and lottery numbers. It encompasses any activity that contains elements of wagering, gain and loss dependent on luck, and unjust transfer of wealth. From gachapon machines at shopping malls to eraser battles at primary school, the principle remains the same - and Islam prohibits it to protect wealth, intellect, and human relationships.
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