Chapter on Racing

His statement, “Chapter on Racing”: sabq, with the letter bā’ unvowelled. As for sabaq, it means the prize. Sabq means a lead that cannot be caught up with: someone gets ahead of you in a manner that you cannot overtake. Thus, the first forerunners among the Muhajirun (Emigrants) and the Ansar (Helpers) cannot be matched by those who came after them in this distinction. Likewise, if someone outruns you on foot and reaches the finish before you do, he has preceded you in a way that you cannot catch up with.

Thus, sabq is an unattainable lead, whether intangible or tangible, and whether in time or place. The Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, preceded us in time, and this is tangible precedence. They also preceded us in an intangible sense through knowledge, faith, jihad, and righteous deeds.

Racing falls into three categories:

A category that is impermissible, whether a prize is offered or not.

A category that is permissible, with a prize or without one.

And a category that is permissible without a prize, but impermissible with one.

The basic ruling is that offering a prize is prohibited, because it falls under gambling: a person is either a winner or a loser. If we stipulate one hundred riyals for whoever comes first, and two people race on foot, then one of them will either gain or lose: he may take the one hundred riyals from his opponent and thereby gain,