The underlying principle is that Allah—glorified is He—has forbidden us certain tangible substances, such as blood, carrion, and pork, and certain dealings, such as gambling and usury, together with whatever falls under either category because it involves some form of undue uncertainty or some other factor. This is because of the harmful consequences they entail, to which Allah and His Messenger have drawn attention. Allah—glorified is He—says: “Satan only seeks to sow enmity and hatred among you through intoxicants and gambling, and to turn you away from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer. Will you not, then, desist?” [al-Mā’idah: 91] [al-Mā’idah].
He—glorified is He—thus informs us that gambling causes enmity and hatred, whether it involves money or takes the form of mere play. Vying with one another to no useful end, and taking wealth without right, engender such feelings in people’s hearts.
Similarly, Zayd ibn Thābit—may Allah be pleased with him—the jurist of Medina among the Companions, reported: “During the time of the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—people used to sell fruit to one another. When the people [harvested] the fruit and the time came to settle their accounts, the purchaser would say, ‘The fruit was afflicted by black rot, disease, or premature fruit-drop’—blights they invoked as excuses. When disputes over this became frequent before the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—he said: ‘If you must sell, do not do so until the fruit’s ripeness becomes evident.’ He offered this to them as counsel because of their frequent disputes and disagreements.”
Khārijah ibn Zayd mentioned that “Zayd would not sell the fruit of his land until the Pleiades rose, at which point the red fruit could be distinguished from the yellow.” Al-Bukhārī related this in suspended form, while Abū Dāwūd related it through the words “their disputes.”
Ahmad also narrated in the Musnad from him that he said: “The Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—arrived in Medina while we were selling fruit before its ripeness had become evident. The Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—heard a dispute and asked, ‘What is this?’ He was told, ‘These people purchased fruit and are saying, “Our crop has been struck by black rot and premature fruit-drop.”’ The Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—then said: ‘Do not sell it until its ripeness becomes evident.’”