Are board games like chess forbidden in Islam?

Question

Maybe I don't understand this hadith properly:

"Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi from Abdullah ibn Umar that when he found one of his family playing dice he beat him and destroyed the dice. Yahya said that he heard Malik say, "There is no good in chess, and he disapproved of it." Yahya said, "I heard him disapprove of playing it and other worthless games. He recited this ayat, 'What is there after the truth except going the wrong way.' " (Sura l0 ayat 32). (Book #52, Hadith #52.2.7)

Answer 1

I found this

http://www.inter-islam.org/Prohibitions/...

After a quick read it would seem that it really depends on your particular sect.

Answer 2

Yes Islam forbids waste of time and specially if  one plays any game with gambling money on lossing the game.

Islam encourages Muslims to spend their time in productive honest work for earning your living,  or trade of honest buying and selling of merchandise.  Islam encourages to spend spare time your health by exercising, horse riding, performing five daily prayers, fullfilling rights of their wife, children and community, doing good deeds, helping the needy and  taking good sleep to rebuild your strength for next day to work and earn lawful income with pious piety in all dealings with others.

Answer 3

Did they have chess in the past ?!!

Any way if they had any similar games like that in the past it is not forbidden .. i have never heard any shaikh (imam) say games are forbidden because if he  said so he will be so dumb and stupid .

what is really forbidden in Islam is that you consume most of your time in games ..that you neglect your prayers or other important things God didn't send here on Earth to spend our times in games .. i play chess it will be stupid if i thought it is haram.

Answer 4

I might be wrong here but, chess and checkers in particular were created/invented (whatever you want to call it) in Arabia under Muslim rule. Thus, not being able to play a game that you technically invented seems rather silly to me.

Answer 5

Interesting - I ws told that the reason why chess is not allowed is because of the graven images issue - the chess pieces represent people and animals... something that isn't allowed.

Answer 6

Really!

I have no knowledge of Islam, but,  Why would anyone want to forbid chess? Possibly it is a misrepresentation.  Forbidding gambling is understandable... I find it a crazy idea. I always thought chess actually helps in improving logical thinking and as a good exercise for the brain.

Answer 7

That's odd. There's a Chess Olympiad every 2 years where teams are sent from almost every country. Most Muslim countries participate in it, including states from the former Soviet Union where Islam is the predominant religion. Iran, Egypt, Indonesia and ex-Soviet states have produced chess grandmasters even!

Answer 8

Your question knocked me right off my high horse!

                         Here I was thinking I knew a fair bit about Islam and the Koran.

                          Before I go any further I am atheist, I am not going to mock Muslim  beliefs I just thought I understood them.

                           I don't ever recall reading anything as mentioned in your question either in the Koran or my little book '40 Hadith' !

OK so I looked up more info on this Hadith 'thingy'!

                             I discovered that I know next to nothing.

My little book didn't go up to Hadith 52 (obviously)!

                              Now I find the book of Saheeh Al-Bukhaari contains 7,275 Hadeeths, some 2000 of which are repeated for some unknown reason????

                                 Right, I give up  I know nothing and there is no way I am going to plough through that lot to try to answer your question, but I will be interested in reading your replies from folk that know.

                                 Your question kept me engrossed for quite some time.

Answer 9

I dont think so it . I have  friends from bahrain and theyre  really good at chess and they compete internationally  there are lots of strong tournaments in middle east eg: Iran, saudi arabia, turkey, and qatar just to name a few and its islamic so i dont think its forbidden.

Answer 10

Hi,

     You may like to visit my personal chess web page - link below?  You can PRINT out a Shatranj board and set of chess pieces for free?  I hope this may be helpful for you?