Gambling and Looting

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), about the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, ‘You must not consume your assets in invalid dealings among your selves. . . (2:184) He (the Imam) said, ‘Among Quraysh a man gambled even his wife and property. Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, prohibited such dealings.’”

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said that when Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, sent to His Messenger, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, the following verse, ‘Wine, gambling, idols and gambling arrows are of the filthy deeds of Satan, you must avoid them’ (5:93), it was asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah, what is al-Maysir?’ The Messenger of Allah replied, ‘It is everything with which gambling is conducted, like cubes and walnuts and so on.’ It then was asked, ‘What is al-Ansab?’ The Messenger of Allah replied, ‘It is what they slaughter for their gods.’ It then was asked, ‘What is al-Azlam?’ The Messenger of Allah replied, ‘It is the arrows that they used to distribute certain items.’”

“Once, abu al-Hassan ‘Alayhi al-Salam, sent one of the slaves to buy eggs for him. The slave took one or two eggs and gambled with them. When the slave came back he (the Imam) used the eggs for food. A servant told him (the Imam) about gambling. He (the Imam) asked for a washbowl and threw up.”

“I once heard abu Ja‘far (a.s.), saying, ‘The Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘A fornicator does not fornicate while he is a believing person, a thief does not steal while he is a believing person and an honorable person does not do Nahbah Dhata Sharaf (an honor-loot) while he is a believing person.’ Ibn Sinan has said that I then asked abu al-Jarud, ‘What is a ‘Nahbah Dhata Sharaf’?’ He replied, ‘It is like what Hatim did when he said, “Whoever takes something it is his.’””

“One of the two Imam, (abu Ja’far or abu ‘Abd Allah), ‘Alayhim al-Salam, has said, ‘Gambling and plundering are not righteous deeds.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), would prohibit utilization of walnuts, that children bring after using in gambling, saying that it is Suht (filthy), unlawful.’”

“I once asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), about the case of what is spread of sugar, almond and so on, on happy occasions if is permissible. He (the Imam) said, ’It is detestable to consume what is plundered.’”

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about what people scatter on certain people during an entertaining occasion or wedding ceremony. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is unlawful but what they give, you can take it.’”

“I once heard abu al-Hassan (a.s.), saying, ‘Al-Maysir is gambling.’”

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of children who play with walnuts and eggs and gamble. He (the Imam) said, ‘You must not consume them for food; it is unlawful.’”