It thus becomes clear that “gambling” involves “two kinds of harm”: harm to wealth, through its wrongful consumption; and harm arising from the activity itself, including financial harm, corruption of the heart and mind, and the breakdown of relations between people. Each of these harms independently warrants prohibition. Wrongfully consuming wealth is therefore prohibited in all circumstances, even without gambling, as in usury. Likewise, whatever diverts people from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer and engenders enmity and hatred is prohibited, even when no wealth is consumed.

When both harms occur together, the prohibition becomes more severe. Gambling that involves both is therefore more serious than usury. This is why it was prohibited before usury. It is well known that when Allah Most High prohibited intoxicants, He prohibited them even for someone drinking them as a remedy, as established in the authentic hadith. He also prohibited selling them to the People of the Book or anyone else, even though consuming the proceeds does not divert people from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer or engender enmity and hatred. For when Allah Most High forbids a people to consume something, He also forbids them its price. All this serves to ensure that it is thoroughly avoided.

The same applies to gambling: both aspects are prohibited. Someone who assists in gambling is like someone who assists with intoxicants, for this constitutes cooperation in sin and transgression.

Just as it is forbidden to assist with intoxicants by selling, pressing, serving, or otherwise, so too is it forbidden to assist in gambling—for example, by selling or hiring out its equipment, or by wavering between the two players while assisting one of them. Indeed, merely being present among people who are gambling is like being present among people drinking intoxicants. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day must not sit at a table where intoxicants are being drunk.”

A report was also brought before ‘Umar ibn