Dalīl al-Ṭālib - Marʿi al-Karmi - (164)

Chapter: Racing Competitions

Racing is permissible in ships, javelin-throwing, bird flights, and the like, as well as footraces and contests involving any kind of animal.1

Yet taking a monetary prize is allowed only in horse-, camel-, or archery competitions, and only when five conditions are met:

The specific mounts—or the individual archers—must be named and inspected in advance.2
The two mounts, or the two bows, must belong to the same class or type.
The distance must be fixed according to common practice.
The prize must be known and lawful.
To avoid any resemblance to gambling, the stake must come from only one of the competitors; if both put up stakes, it is not permissible unless a third entrant—the muhallil—joins the race without contributing anything.3

No more than one such third entrant may participate, and his mount must be equivalent to theirs, or, in the case of archery, his shooting skill comparable to theirs.4

(1) Shaykh al-Islam declared: “Anything that amuses and distracts a person from what Allah has enjoined is forbidden, even if the activity itself—such as buying and selling—is not intrinsically illicit. As for the various entertainments pursued by bachelors and every other form of diversion that does not contribute to a legitimate religious purpose, all of it is unlawful.” Ḥashiyat al-Rawd, 5/347. (2) In manuscript A the text contains only the conjunction “wa” (and). (3) In manuscript A the reading is “lam yajzi” (does not suffice). (4) In manuscript M the text has “wa” (and) instead of “aw” (or).

باب المسابقة وهي جائزة في السفن والمزاريق والطيور وغيرها وعلى الأقدام وبكل الحيوانات١. لكن لا يجوز أخذ العوض إلا في مسابقه الخيل والإبل والسهام بشروط خمسة:. أحدها: تعيين المركوبين أو٢الراميين بالرؤية. الثاني: اتحاد المركوبين أو القوسين بالنوع. الثالث: تحديد المسافة بما جرت به العادة. الرابع: علم العوض وإباحته. الخامس: الخروج عن شبه القمار بأن يكون العوض من واحد فإن أخرجا معا لم يجز٣ إلا بمحل لا يخرج شيئا. ولا يجوز أكثر من واحد يكافئ مركوبه مركوبيهما أو٤ ورميه

١ قال شيخ الإسلام: وما ألهي وشغل عما أمر الله به فهو منهي عنه وأن لم يحرم جنسه كالبيع والتجارة وأما سائر ما يتلهى به البكالون من أنواع اللهو وسائر ضروب اللهو مما لا يستعان به في حق شرعي فكله حرام. حاشية الروض "٥/٣٤٧". ٢ في "أ" بالواو فقط. ٣ في"أ" "لم يجزء". ٤ في "م": بالواو بدل "أو".