It was also narrated through his chain of transmission, from Jāmi‘ ibn Wahb, from Abū Salama, who said:

“I asked al-Qāsim ibn Muhammad, ‘What is gambling?’ He replied, ‘Whatever distracts from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer is gambling.’”

Yahyā ibn Ayyūb said: “ ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Umar told me that he heard ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd Allah say: ‘I said to al-Qāsim ibn Muhammad, “Backgammon is gambling. What about chess—is it gambling?” Al-Qāsim replied, “Whatever distracts from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer is gambling.” ’ ”

Ibn Wahb said: “Yahyā ibn Ayyūb told me that Abū Qays narrated to them from ‘Uqba ibn ‘Āmir, who said: ‘I would rather worship an idol that was worshipped in the pre-Islamic age of ignorance than play this gambling game.’” Al-Qaysī said: “It consisted of sticks with which people played on the ground.”

Through his chain of transmission, he also narrated from Fadāla ibn ‘Ubayd, who said:

“It makes no difference to me whether I play al-kayl or perform ablution with pig’s blood and then stand to pray.”

The report that ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib passed some people playing chess and said, “What are these statues to which you are devoted?” is reliably established from him. He was likening them to idol worshippers. This accords with Allah’s words:

“O you who believe! Intoxicants, gambling, sacrificial altars and divining arrows are nothing but defilement from Satan’s handiwork, so avoid them that you may succeed. 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?”

“Gambling” includes backgammon and similar games. It is established in the Sahīh that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“Whoever plays backgammon has dipped his hand in the flesh and blood of a pig.”

In the Sunan collections, he is reported to have said:

“Whoever plays backgammon has disobeyed Allah and His Messenger.”

The position of the four imams is that playing backgammon is forbidden, even when no stakes are involved.

Ibn ‘Umar, Mālik ibn Anas and others said that chess is worse than backgammon. And it was stated by Abū Hanīfa