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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Greater Sins - Volume 1 Fourteenth Greater Sin: Gambling Gambling is the fourteenth Greater Sin. The following statements support this view. The Holy Qur’anstates in Surah al-Baqarah: “They ask you about intoxicants and games of chances. Say: in both of them there is a great sin...”(Surah al-Baqarah 2:219) “Ithm al-kabir” means a very great sin.

The Holy Qur’an has used this phrase only for drinking and gambling.” The tradition related by Fazl Ibn Shazān from Imam ‘Ali ar-Riďa (a.s.) also included gambling among the Greater sins. Similarly, gambling is clearly mentioned as a Greater Sin in the tradition related by Amash from Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.). Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.), is reported to have told Abu Basir: “It is Harām to sell chess. It is Harām to spend the income of this sale.

To keep chess (board and pieces) in ones possession is tantamount to kufr (disbelief). To play chess is equal to ascribing partners to Allah. It is a sin even to salute one who plays chess.

One who touches it in order to play it, it is, as if he has contaminated his hands by touching pork.”[^1] The same tradition is recorded in the book Man La Yahzarul Faqih with the addition inter alia that: “To teach chess to others is also a kind of destructive sin.” It is related from Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.): “Allah pardons all the sinners in the month of Ramadhan except Three kinds of people; those who drink wine, those who gamble and those who harbour enmity and avarice towards a Muslim.” Another proof is the following verse of Qur’an, which shows that gambling, is a Greater Sin: “O you who believe!

Intoxicants and (Maesir) games of chance and divining (azlam) by arrows are only an uncleanness, the Shaitan’s work; shun it therefore that you may be successful.” (Surah al-Mā’ida 5:90) What do ‘Maesir’ and ‘Azlam’ Denote? Games of chances that are mentioned in this Qur’anic verse include all types of gambling. The Arabicequivalent to this is “Maesir” which is derived from the root word “yusur” which means ‘ease’.

Since a gambler does not perform a laborious work and is able to easily grab the money belonging to others, gambling is called*“Maesir”*. “Azlam” is a game of chance that is played with dice. Actually, there used to be special pieces of wood which were used in gambling. Azlam is also known as*“aqlām”*. The gamblers used to purchase a camel and divide the meat of the slaughtered camel into twenty-eight parts.