The Ruling of Shaikh Bin Baz (may Allah have mercy upon him)
Question: Our Brother asks about the ruling on playing cards?
Answer: “Playing cards is not allowed because it is from the instruments of amusement and it has seductive pictures used for play. It is from the instruments of amusement from what we know so it is is not necessary. Rather it is not allowed to play it because it leads to distractions from what is obligatory from the prayer in congregation, and sometimes it leads to arguments and cursing based on what those who play mention” [https://www.binbaz.org.sa/mat/17735]
The Ruling from Shaikh Ibn ul-‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy upon him)
Question: Generous Shaikh! May Allah be good to you, what is the ruling on the playing cards which have on them pictures of souls and other than it? And what is the ruling on playing Shatranj and playing with dice knowing that they will not miss the prayer times? Please answer this question may Allah reward you with good.
Answer: This is haram according to many of our contemporary scholars: Shatranj and cards. From those who say it is haram is our Shaikh Abu Abdurahman Abdurahman bin Nasir as-Sa’di (may Allah have mercy upon him)” [Liqaa ash-Shahri no. 66]
The Ruling of Shaikh Muqbil bin Haadi al-Waa’diee (may Allah have mercy upon him)
Question: the questioner asks about playing cards, dominoes, and keeram (an Arab game) not for money?
Answer: The least thing that can be said is that it is an amusement. Leave it alone if it is for money, That would be gambling. Otherwise the least thing that can be said is that it is an amusement and the Messenger (ﷺ) said:
لا تزل قدما عبد حتى يُسال عن أربع – ومنها – عن عمره فيما أفناه
The two feet of the son of Adam wont move until he is asked about four: from them is his lifespan in what he did with it.
[Reported by Tirmidhi and others. Graded Saheeh by Al-Albani in Saheeh Tirmidhi no. 2417]
So we are responsible for our lifespans and the Messenger (ﷺ) said:
نِعْمَتَانِ مَغْبُونٌ فِيهِمَا كَثِيرٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ، الصِّحَّةُ وَالْفَرَاغُ
Two blessings most people are cheated from: health and free time
[Saheeh al-Bukhaari no. 6412]
So we advise every brother to avoid it. Sometimes it causes hostility and malice between them because (he says) ‘I won’ and ‘you won’ and like this. So what is most deserving is to avoid it, that is better for you and we don’t have time and you don’t have time. You, O, Muslim are responsible to understand the deen of Allah and you are responsible to go out to provide for your family and like this.
اِحْرِصْ عَلَى مَا يَنْفَعُكَ, وَاسْتَعِنْ بِاَللَّهِ, وَلَا تَعْجَزْ, وَإِنْ أَصَابَكَ شَيْءٌ فَلَا تَقُلْ: لَوْ أَنِّي فَعَلْتُ كَانَ كَذَا وَكَذَا, وَلَكِنْ قُلْ: قَدَّرَ اَللَّهُ وَمَا شَاءَ فَعَلَ
Be Eager in what benefits you and seek the aid of Allah and do not be lazy and do not say if I did such and such then such and such would happen for verily if opens to the action of Shaytan. however say: What Allah decreed and what he will he does.
[Saheeh Muslim no. 2664]
[https://www.muqbel.net/fatwa.php?fatwa_id=3184]
The Ruling of Shaikh Abdul-Muhsin al-‘Abbad (may Allah preserve him)
“The games which are present in our modern time like cards, dominoes, billiards, and others that are present nowadays, all of them are distractions from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer” [Sharh Sunan Abi Dawood no. 561]
And Allah Knows Best
Faisal bin Abdul Qaadir bin Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan
