Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/438)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

ʿAlī ibn Abī Tālib—may Allah be pleased with him—(1) that he passed by some people playing chess and said:

“What are these statues to which you are devoted?” (2)

The prohibition of chess is likewise well known from Abū Mūsā, Ibn ʿAbbās, Ibn ʿUmar, and other Companions.

They differed as to which of the two is more strictly forbidden (3): chess or backgammon. Mālik said, “Chess is worse than backgammon.” This is reported (4) from Ibn ʿUmar. The reason is that chess occupies the mind with thought that diverts one from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer more than backgammon does.

Abū Hanīfa and Ahmad said, “Backgammon is worse, because it more often involves wagers.” As for al-Shāfiʿī, he did not say (5) that (6) chess was lawful. Rather, he said, “Backgammon is forbidden, while chess is less serious, and it is not evident to me (7) that chess is forbidden.” He therefore withheld judgment regarding its prohibition. His followers held two positions (8) concerning its prohibition: if permissibility is the stronger view, no harm follows,

(1) “May Allah be pleased with him” is omitted from (W) and (H). (M) reads: “May Allah honor his countenance.” (2) Ibn Kathīr cited this report in his commentary on verse 52 of Surah al-Anbiyā, on the authority of Ibn Abī Hātim. He reported: Alī passed by some people playing chess and said, “What are these statues to which you are devoted? For your companion to touch a glowing ember until it is extinguished would be better for him than touching them.” (3) (N), (M), (S), (R), (H), and (W) read: “They differed as to which of the two is worse.” (4) (N), (M), and (W) read: “well known.” (5) (M) and (W) read: “As for al-Shāfiʿī—may Allah have mercy on him—he did not say.” (N) reads: “As for the position of al-Shāfiʿī—may Allah have mercy on him—he did not say.” (6) The particle *inna* (“indeed”) is omitted from (N) and (M). (7) The word *lī* (“to me”) is omitted from (A) and (B). (8) (N), (M), (H), (R), and (S) read: “two views.”

عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ - (١) . أَنَّهُ مَرَّ بِقَوْمٍ يَلْعَبُونَ بِالشَّطْرَنْجِ، فَقَالَ: مَا هَذِهِ التَّمَاثِيلُ الَّتِي أَنْتُمْ لَهَا عَاكِفُونَ (٢) .؟ . وَكَذَلِكَ النَّهْيُ عَنْهَا مَعْرُوفٌ عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى وَابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ وَابْنِ عُمَرَ وَغَيْرِهِ مِنَ الصَّحَابَةِ. وَتَنَازَعُوا فِي أَيِّهِمَا أَشَدُّ (٣) . تَحْرِيمًا: الشَّطْرَنْجُ أَوَالنَّرْدُ؟ فَقَالَ مَالِكٌ: الشَّطْرَنْجُ أَشَدُّ مِنَ النَّرْدِ. وَهَذَا مَنْقُولٌ (٤) . عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، وَهَذَا لِأَنَّهَا تَشْغَلُ الْقَلْبَ بِالْفِكْرِ الَّذِي يَصُدُّ عَنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَعَنِ الصَّلَاةِ أَكْثَرَ مِنَ النَّرْدِ. وَقَالَ: أَبُو حَنِيفَةَ وَأَحْمَدُ: النَّرْدُ أَشَدُّ، فَإِنَّ الْعِوَضَ يَدْخُلُ فِيهَا أَكْثَرَ. وَأَمَّا الشَّافِعِيُّ فَلَمْ يَقُلْ (٥) .: إِنَّ (٦) . الشَّطْرَنْجَ حَلَالٌ، وَلَكِنْ قَالَ: النَّرْدُ حَرَامٌ وَالشَّطْرَنْجُ دُونَهَا، وَلَا يَتَبَيَّنُ لِي (٧) . أَنَّهَا حَرَامٌ، فَتَوَقَّفَ فِي التَّحْرِيمِ. وَلِأَصْحَابِهِ فِي تَحْرِيمِهَا قَوْلَانِ (٨) .: فَإِنْ كَانَ التَّحْلِيلُ هُوَ الرَّاجِحُ فَلَا ضَرَرَ،

(١) رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (و) ، (هـ) ، وَفِي (م) : كَرَّمَ اللَّهُ وَجْهَهُ (٢) أَوْرَدَ ابْنُ كَثِيرٍ هَذَا الْخَبَرَ فِي تَفْسِيرِهِ لِآيَةِ (٥٢) مِنْ سُورَةِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي حَاتِمٍ، قَالَ: مَرَّ عَلِيٌّ عَلَى قَوْمٍ يَلْعَبُونَ بِالشَّطْرَنْجِ، فَقَالَ: مَا هَذِهِ التَّمَاثِيلُ الَّتِي أَنْتُمْ لَهَا عَاكِفُونَ؟ لِأَنْ يَمَسَّ صَاحِبُكُمْ جَمْرًا حَتَّى يُطْفَأَ خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَمَسَّهَا (٣) ن، م، ص، ر، هـ، و: وَتَنَازَعُوا أَيُّمَا أَشَدُّ (٤) ن، م، و: مَعْرُوفٌ (٥) م، و: وَأَمَّا الشَّافِعِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ فَلَمْ يَقُلْ، ن: وَأَمَّا قَوْلُ الشَّافِعِيِّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ فَلَمْ يَقُلْ (٦) إِنَّ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) (٧) لِي: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) (٨) ن، م، هـ، ر، ص: وَجْهَانِ