Is playing chess halal?

Answered by Mufti Naved Akhtar ·

Question

Is it permissible to play chess provided it doesn't take much if our time and is free from gambling?

Response

Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

Classical jurists across the four Sunni schools of Islamic law have generally regarded playing chess with disapproval, although they differed regarding the degree of its prohibition or reprehensibility. Some considered it unlawful, while others classified it as prohibitively disliked or merely disliked. A smaller group of scholars permitted it under certain conditions, particularly when it involved no gambling or neglect of religious obligations.

According to the relied-upon position of the Hanafi school, playing chess is prohibitively disliked (makruh tahrimi), even when no gambling is involved and it does not interfere with one's obligatory duties. This ruling is explicitly stated in al-Durr al-Mukhtar and supported by other authoritative Hanafi works.

Nevertheless, there is a narration from Imam Abu Yusuf (رحمه الله) which permits chess provided that it involves no gambling, is not played habitually, and does not lead to neglecting obligatory duties, although it is not the relied upon position of the school.

Therefore, according to the relied-upon Hanafi position, playing chess should be avoided even when gambling and other impermissible elements are absent. This is also the more cautious course in view of the considerable disapproval expressed by classical jurists.

And Allah knows best.

[1] Al-Haskafi, al-Durr al-Mukhtar, with Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar, 6/394:

وَكُرِهَ تَحْرِيمًا اللَّعِبُ بِالنَّرْدِ وَكَذَا الشِّطْرَنْجِ ... وَأَبَاحَهُ الشَّافِعِيُّ وَأَبُو يُوسُفَ فِي رِوَايَةٍ.

[2] Al-Kasani, Bada'i al-Sana'i, 5/127:

وَيُكْرَهُ اللَّعِبُ بِالنَّرْدِ وَالشِّطْرَنْجِ.

[3] Al-Nawawi, Minhaj al-Talibin, p. 345:

وَيُكْرَهُ بِشَطْرَنْجٍ.

[4] Al-Mardawi, al-Insaf, 29/358:

اللَّعِبُ بِالشِّطْرَنْجِ حَرَامٌ عَلَى الصَّحِيحِ مِنَ الْمَذْهَبِ.

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