One: What is the ruling on playing what is called cards, if it is not with dirhams or anything of that sort?
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The Shaykh : Welcome, may Allah greet you.
The questioner : Your Eminence, Shaykh Muhammad, this message reached us from al-Qasim, from Buraydah. The sender is Muhammad al-Abd al-Aziz al-Tuwajiri. He says: Peace be upon you, and Allah’s mercy and blessings. And after that, we thank you.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and Allah's mercy and blessings.
The questioner : We thank you, O honorable scholars, for the great effort you exert for the beneficial program, *Nur 'ala al-Darb* (Light on the Path), which is, if Allah wills, a name that fits its reality. He also says: I have questions, and I hope you will present them to Your Eminence, Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen. Question One: What is the ruling on playing what is called cards, if it is not with dirhams or anything of that sort?
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. This game is undoubtedly something that distracts greatly and consumes a long time for its players. Hours pass and they are not aware of them, and thereby they miss many interests. Therefore, our Shaykh, Abd al-Rahman ibn Sa'di (may Allah have mercy on him), said that this game is forbidden. He likely took this from a principle of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him), which is that whatever distracts greatly and occupies one from the obligatory, it is from the vain amusement that is forbidden. Also, it causes enmity between the players when one of them is cheated, which is well known. And perhaps a dispute and quarrel occurs during the game, along with cursing and abuse. And perhaps it leads to an exchange that is not dirhams, but of another type. In any case, the sane, believing person who values the worth of time does not lower himself to play with it.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And to be distracted by it. Yes.
The questioner : Your Eminence, Shaykh Muhammad, this message reached us from al-Qasim, from Buraydah. The sender is Muhammad al-Abd al-Aziz al-Tuwajiri. He says: Peace be upon you, and Allah’s mercy and blessings. And after that, we thank you.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and Allah's mercy and blessings.
The questioner : We thank you, O honorable scholars, for the great effort you exert for the beneficial program, *Nur 'ala al-Darb* (Light on the Path), which is, if Allah wills, a name that fits its reality. He also says: I have questions, and I hope you will present them to Your Eminence, Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen. Question One: What is the ruling on playing what is called cards, if it is not with dirhams or anything of that sort?
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. This game is undoubtedly something that distracts greatly and consumes a long time for its players. Hours pass and they are not aware of them, and thereby they miss many interests. Therefore, our Shaykh, Abd al-Rahman ibn Sa'di (may Allah have mercy on him), said that this game is forbidden. He likely took this from a principle of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him), which is that whatever distracts greatly and occupies one from the obligatory, it is from the vain amusement that is forbidden. Also, it causes enmity between the players when one of them is cheated, which is well known. And perhaps a dispute and quarrel occurs during the game, along with cursing and abuse. And perhaps it leads to an exchange that is not dirhams, but of another type. In any case, the sane, believing person who values the worth of time does not lower himself to play with it.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And to be distracted by it. Yes.