AL- MAISIR  (Gambling)

        When famine broke out the Arabs brought sacrificial animals-camels and sheep-and slaughtered them.  Then they divided them into 28 shares and placed ten arrows near them, namely fach ; tawan ; raqib, hils, nafis, musbil, mu’alli manih, sanih and  waghd

One out of these 28 shares was earmarked for fadh, two for  tawan, three for  raqib, four for  hils,  five for  nafis, six for musbil, seven for mu’alli; and mu’alli  would receive a major share and from this a proverb came into vogue, every one who should have lion’s share of anything was called “Sahibu al-qidhil mu’alli.  The last three arrows manih, sanih and waghd had no share at all.  This process always, ws completed among ten persons like drawing lots.

The Arabs then distributed these shares among the needy and they themselves did not eat anything out of them.  They felt proud of that act and condemned those who did not participate in this ritual.  The later were nicknamed as “baram” i.e., a mean and niggardly man devoid of manly traits.  Later on, they forgot the spirit of the ritual and made the arrows a means of business without any consideration of munificence and help

to the needy.  Then a man began to gamble with all his property and as a result thereof became a destitute and penniless.

We seek refuge in Allah against the evil promptings and deprivation of Divine Guidance.  

During the period of ignorance, the Arabs used to make ten arrows which were strips of wood without headpoints.  They named them aqlam(pen-sticks), qidah(featherless arrows) and azlam(divinatory arrows), which were put in a  ribbah  or leather-bag tossing on the arm. Then a man would put his hand in it to bring  out an arrow in the name of a polytheist, and so on.  If an arrow having some share was brought our for a man, he took the share specified for it and if an arrow having no share was brought out for a man he would not get anything but lose the entire cost of the sacrifice.

There were two other kinds of seeking fortune and either of them was meant for securing some information about the unseen events:

First, the keeper of the Holy Ka’ba had three arrows.  On one of these was written “Do”, on the second arrow was scribed “Do no t do”, while on the third one nothing was scribed.  According to another report on one arrow was written “My Lord hath commanded me”, on the second arrow was written “My Lord hath forbidden me”, while the third one carried no remarks.  Whenever anyone intended to go on some journey or war or wanted to marry or make a business transaction or wanted to go out for some other human needs, the custodian of Ka’ba would cast divining arrows.  If an arrow having the words “My Lord hath commanded me” came out, he would go out for the job.  On the other hand if an arrow with the words “My Lord hath forbidden me” was picked up, he would desist from going out.  It the arrow bore no words was drawn, the same process was repeated.

The second category consisted of seven arrows.  One of them was near the idol called Habul placed inside the Holy Ka’ba.  All the vicissitudes with which humanity comes across were inscribed on this arrow and the Arabs cast lots by means of it in the manner already discussed.  Allah has forbidden all the three means of seeking fortune in the Verse:

 “forbidden unto you are carrion and blood and swine-flesh”---upto the words “and that ye seek fortune by divining arrows.  This is an abomination.”                                                                          (5:3)

Similar other Verses have also been revealed the Holy Qur’an.

The rational underlying the prohibition of seeking fortune by arrows is that it is and absurd and superstitions action which is followed by unwise persons.  The Arabs, in this way, ascribed lie to Allah, if by “Lord” appearing in the words “My Lord hath commanded me”  they meant Allah, the Great and High.  If by the word “Lord” they meant an idol, they were ignorants and polytheists.  The act of seeking by arrows leads to a claim of having the knowledge of the unseen which power exclusively vests in Allah.   Again, these omens were sought by the flight of birds, divination, augury, geomancy, sorcery, magic, astronomy and also seeking fortune by beads and by all other things that deemed to have the knowledge of the unseen.  All these acts are unlawful in the sight of Islamic Shari’ah.  Allah, the Exalted says:

 “Say (O’ Prophet): None in the heavens and the earth knoweth the unseen save Allah.”     (27:65)

Again, the Holy Qur’an says:

 “And it is not(the purpose of 0 Allah to let you know th unseen.”    (3:179)  

           Casting of lots recognizes equal right of the persons for whom lots ar drawn.  Casting of lots is permissible under special circumstances when a person having as equal right and seeing that only one can avail of this right, is not going to sacrifice his right for the sake of other.  Sayeda ‘A’isha(Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Apostle of Allah(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) whenever had a mind to set out on a journey, would cast lots among his wives and that wife would accompany him in whose favor fell the lots. (Abu Dawud and Muslim)

This procedure was adopted by the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) because had to chosen to his own sweet will anyone of his wives, it would have injured the feelings of the other wives.

            Quite contrary to this, the game of chance (gambling) does not recognize equal rights of the gamblers.  Therefore, Allah has declared it unlawful and made drawing lots permissible.  Allah has mentioned two events of drawing lots in the Holy Qur’an.  The first event is narrated in the following Verses:

 “Lo, Yunus (Jonah) verily was one of the (Divine) Messengers.  When he fled unto the laden ship, and then he drew lots and was of those rejected.”                                                                                 (37:139-141)

            The second event is given in the following Verses:  

“This is of the tidings of things hidden.  We reveal it unto thee(Muhammad).  Thou wast not present with them when they threw their pens(to know) which of them should be the guardian  of Mary, nor wast thou present with them when they quarrelled (thereupon).”   (3:44)

In the Torah  we have :

 “Verily, by drawing lots land is distributed in accordance with the names of the descendent of their ancestors.  They own according to lots and their shares are divided whether they are small or large in number. (Chapter 27, Verse :55, 56)

In the sacred scriptures we come across the maxim; “Drawing lots settles the disputes  and make a judgment among the  strong.” chapter 18, Verse 8)

Verse 33 of Chapter 16 of the Holy Scripture reads as :

 “Lots are cast among persons having equal rights and from the Lord is every decree thereof.”

Seeking fortune by means of lots finds its mention in Verse 35 of Section 27 of Matthew as well as in Verse of Section 15 of Marcurius.

It is incumbent upon all the Islamic governments to launch a movement in their countries against gambling and its various forms just as lottery and should prescribe punishment for the defaulters.  The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has narrated an event of the people who observe the Divine Limits (Hudud) and those who defy them.  He (the Holy Prophet) said :”The similitude of those who establish the limits prescribed by Allah and those who infringe them is like the similitude of a people who draw lots to embark a boat.  Some of them went to its lower storey and the other went ot its upper storey.  People staying in the lower storey, when they required water, went to those staying in the upper storey and said ,”What do you think if we make a hole in our storey and do not tease those above us ?”  So, if they ignore them and their plans all of them will ruin and if they hold their hands from doing so) all of them will be fully successful.”   (Bukhari)