The Ruling On Board Games

Board games with Dice/Backgammon – النرد

Short Answer:

1- If these games involve gambling, it is forbidden by agreement of all scholars.

2- If they don’t contain gambling, but keep a person away from God’s remembrance (prayers etc), it is also forbidden by agreement of all scholars.

3- If they are free from gambling and do not prevent a person from God’s remembrance – most scholars say it is still forbidden, and another group of scholars say in this case, it is disliked, but not forbidden, nor a sin.

The ruling is the same if its online, because many kids play these games on PC’s, phones & tablets.

Evidences:

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1- The Prophet said:
مَنْ لَعِبَ بِالنَّرْدَشِيرِ فَكَأَنَّمَا صَبَغَ يَدَهُ فِي لَحْمِ خِنْزِيرٍ وَدَمِهِ
“He who played Nardashir (a game similar to backgammon) is like one who dyed his hand with the flesh and blood of swine.”
[“Sahih Muslim”, 2260].
https://sunnah.com/muslim:2260

2- The Prophet said:
مَنْ لَعِبَ بِالنَّرْدِ فَقَدْ عَصَى اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ
“He who plays backgammon disobeys God and His Apostle.”
[“Abu Dawud”, 4938 – حسن ].
https://sunnah.com/abudawud:4938

3- Nafi’ related that:
أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللهِ بْنَ عُمَرَ كَانَ إِذَا وَجَدَ أَحَدًا مِنْ أَهْلِهِ يَلْعَبُ بِالنَّرْدِ ضَرَبَهُ، وَكَسَرَهَا
If ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar found any of his family playing backgammon, he would beat them and break the board.
[“Al-Adab Al-Mufrad”, 1273].
https://sunnah.com/adab:1273

4- Fadala ibn ‘Ubayd was at a meeting when he heard that some people were playing backgammon. He got up in anger to forbid it in the strongest possible terms. Then he said,
أَلاَ إِنَّ اللاَّعِبَ بِهَا لَيَأْكُلُ ثَمَرَهَا، كَآكِلِ لَحْمِ الْخِنْزِيرِ، وَمُتَوَضِّئٍ بِالدَّمِ‏.‏ يَعْنِي بِالْكُوبَةِ‏:‏ النَّرْدَ‏
“The one who plays in order to live on his winnings is like a person who eats pig meat and does wudu’ in blood.”
[Al-Adab Al-Mufrad”, 788].
https://sunnah.com/adab:788

5- Alqama ibn Abi ‘Alqama reported from his mother that ‘A’isha, may Allah be pleased with her, heard that some people living in a room in her house had a backgammon game. She sent to them, saying,
لَئِنْ لَمْ تُخْرِجُوهَا لَأُخْرِجَنَّكُمْ مِنْ دَارِي
“If you do not remove it, I will evict you from my house.” He censured them for playing that.
[“Al-Adab Al-Mufrad”, 1274].
https://sunnah.com/adab:1274

6- Kulthum ibn Jabir said, “Ibn az-Zubayr addressed us and said,
يَا أَهْلَ مَكَّةَ، بَلَغَنِي عَنْ رِجَالٍ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ يَلْعَبُونَ بِلُعْبَةٍ يُقَالُ لَهَا‏:‏ النَّرْدَشِيرُ، وَكَانَ أَعْسَرَ، قَالَ اللَّهُ‏:‏ ‏{‏إِنَّمَا الْخَمْرُ وَالْمَيْسِرُ‏}‏، وَإِنِّي أَحْلِفُ بِاللَّهِ‏:‏ لاَ أُوتَى بِرَجُلٍ لَعِبَ بِهَا إِلاَّ عَاقَبْتُهُ فِي شَعْرِهِ وَبَشَرِهِ، وَأَعْطَيْتُ سَلَبَهُ لِمَنْ أَتَانِي بِهِ‏
‘People of Makka, I have heard that there are men of Quraysh who play a game called backgammon. It is done with the left hand. Allah says, ‘Wine and gambling.’ (5:90) I swear by Allah that if anyone who plays it is brought before me, I will punish him in his hair and skin, and I will give his booty to the one who brings him to me.”
[“Al-Adab Al-Mufrad”, 1275].
https://sunnah.com/adab:1275

7- Al-Fadil ibn Muslim reported that his father said,
كَانَ عَلِيٌّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ إِذَا خَرَجَ مِنْ بَابِ الْقَصْرِ، فَرَأَى أَصْحَابَ النَّرْدِ انْطَلَقَ بِهِمْ فَعَقَلَهُمْ مِنْ غُدْوَةٍ إِلَى اللَّيْلِ، فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يُعْقَلُ إِلَى نِصْفِ النَّهَارِ‏.‏ قَالَ‏:‏ وَكَانَ الَّذِي يُعْقَلُ إِلَى اللَّيْلِ هُمُ الَّذِينَ يُعَامِلُونَ بِالْوَرِقِ، وَكَانَ الَّذِي يُعْقَلُ إِلَى نِصْفِ النَّهَارِ الَّذِينَ يَلْهُونَ بِهَا، وَكَانَ يَأْمُرُ أَنْ لا يُسَلِّمُوا عَلَيْهِمْ
“When ‘Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, went out through the Bab al-Qasr, he saw some backgammon players. He took them and locked them up from morning to night. Some of them he only locked up for half the day. Those he locked up until night were those who used silver. Those he locked up for half the day were those who played it. He also commanded that they should not be greeted.”
[“Al-Adab Al-Mufrad”, 1268].
https://sunnah.com/adab/54/10
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1- Imam An-Nawawi said:
قال الإمام النووي رحمه الله: “والجمهور في تحريم اللعب بالنرد، وقال أبو إسحاق المروزي من أصحابنا يكره ولا يحرم” [شرح النووي على مسلم 15/ 15]
“According to the majority of the scholars, playing with dice is prohibited.
Our fellow companion, Ishaaq Al-Marwazi, said, “it is reprehensible, but not prohibited.”
[“Sharh An-Nawawi Ala Muslim”, 15/15].

2- It says in “Mughni al-Muhtaj”, (6/346):
في [مغني المحتاج 6/ 346]: “يحرم اللعب بالنرد على الصحيح؛ لخبر (من لعب بالنرد فقد عصى الله ورسوله) رواه أبو داود والحاكم، وهو على هذا صغيرة، والثاني: يكره”.
“The correct opinion is that playing with dice is forbidden, due to the Hadith: “Whoever plays with dice has disobeyed God and His messenger”, and it is a minor sin according to this. The second opinion is that it is merely disliked.”

3- Ibn Hajar al-Haythami believed it was a major sin:
وقال الهيتمي في \”الزواجر عن اقتراف الكبائر\” 2/172-173 أن اللعب بالنرد من الكبائر، فقال: (الكبيرة الرابعة والأربعون بعد الأربعمائة: اللعب بالنرد)، ونقل عن إمام الحرمين قوله: (الصحيح أنه من الكبائر)، ثم قال: (وظاهر الأخبار المذكورة أنه كبيرة من الكبائر، إذ التشبه بلحم الخنزير يفيد وعيداً شديداً).
“The apparent meaning of the aforementioned narrations indicate that it is a major sin, because it has been linked with the meat of pigs, which signified a stern threat.”
[“Al-Zawajir”, 2/173].

4- Ibn Abdul-Barr said:
وقال ابن عبد البر رحمه الله: “ولم يختلف العلماء أن القمار من الميسر المحرم، وأكثرهم على كراهة اللعب بالنرد على كل حال قماراً أو غير قمار؛ للخبر الوارد فيها، وما أعلم أحداً أرخص في اللعب بها، إلا ما جاء عن عبد الله بن مُغفل وعكرمة والشعبي وسعيد بن المسيب، فإن شعبة روى عن يزيد بن أبي خالد قال: دخلت على عبد الله بن المغفل وهو يلاعب امرأته الخضيراء بالقصاب -يعني النردشير-.
وروي عن عكرمة والشعبي أنهما كانا يلعبان بالنرد… وسئل سعيد بن المسيب عن اللعب بالنرد فقال: إذا لم يكن قماراً فلا بأس به، قال إسحاق: إذا لعبه على غير معنى القمار يريد به التعليم والمكايدة فهو مكروه ولا يبلغ ذلك إسقاط شهادته… ويحتمل اللعب بالنرد المنهي عنه على وجه القمار” [التمهيد 13/ 180].
“Scholars haven`t disagreed that gambling is from the games of chance, and the majority are of the view that it is prohibited to play with dice, whether that involves gambling or not, based on the narration related in this regard.
I haven`t heard that any of the scholars has permitted playing with dice, except the narration in which Yazid Ibn Abi Khalid said: “I entered the house of Abdullah Bin Moghfil while he and his wife were playing with dice.”
It was also narrated that Ikrimah and Al-Shu`abi used to play with dice…
When Sa`eid Bin Al-Mosaiaab was asked about playing with dice, he said, “Is it doesn`t involve gambling, then it is permissible.”
Ishaaq said: “If it is played for teaching players the tricks of war, then it is reprehensible, but the players` testimony isn`t rejected on these grounds….It is probable that this prohibition pertains to playing dice that involves gambling.”
[“Al-Tamheed”, 13/180].