Quran Verses about Gambling

5 ayahs · from 2 surahs

Gambling (maysir) is mentioned together with wine: its sin is greater than its benefit, and both are then declared filthy works of Satan to be avoided, since they stir enmity and turn people from remembering Allah and from prayer. Seeking one's fortune with divining arrows is also forbidden and called defiance.

The sin of gambling is greater than its benefit

  1. ۞ يَسۡـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلۡخَمۡرِ وَٱلۡمَيۡسِرِۖ قُلۡ فِيهِمَآ إِثۡمٞ كَبِيرٞ وَمَنَٰفِعُ لِلنَّاسِ وَإِثۡمُهُمَآ أَكۡبَرُ مِن نَّفۡعِهِمَاۗ وَيَسۡـَٔلُونَكَ مَاذَا يُنفِقُونَۖ قُلِ ٱلۡعَفۡوَۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمُ ٱلۡأٓيَٰتِ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَتَفَكَّرُونَ ٢١٩

    Yasʾalūnaka ʿanil-khamri wal-maysir, qul fīhimā ithmun kabīruw wa manāfiʿu lin-nāsi wa ithmuhumā akbaru min nafʿihimā, wa yasʾalūnaka mādhā yunfiqūn, qulil-ʿafw, kadhālika yubayyinullāhu lakumul-āyāti laʿallakum tatafakkarūn.

    They ask you about wine1 and gambling. Say, "In them is great sin and [yet, some] benefit for people. But their sin is greater than their benefit." And they ask you what they should spend. Say, "The excess [beyond needs]." Thus Allāh makes clear to you the verses [of revelation] that you might give thought

    Footnotes (1)
    1. The word "khamr" (wine) includes all intoxicants. The final prohibition is given in 5:90-91.

The prohibition of gambling and divining arrows

  1. حُرِّمَتۡ عَلَيۡكُمُ ٱلۡمَيۡتَةُ وَٱلدَّمُ وَلَحۡمُ ٱلۡخِنزِيرِ وَمَآ أُهِلَّ لِغَيۡرِ ٱللَّهِ بِهِۦ وَٱلۡمُنۡخَنِقَةُ وَٱلۡمَوۡقُوذَةُ وَٱلۡمُتَرَدِّيَةُ وَٱلنَّطِيحَةُ وَمَآ أَكَلَ ٱلسَّبُعُ إِلَّا مَا ذَكَّيۡتُمۡ وَمَا ذُبِحَ عَلَى ٱلنُّصُبِ وَأَن تَسۡتَقۡسِمُواْ بِٱلۡأَزۡلَٰمِۚ ذَٰلِكُمۡ فِسۡقٌۗ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ يَئِسَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِن دِينِكُمۡ فَلَا تَخۡشَوۡهُمۡ وَٱخۡشَوۡنِۚ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ أَكۡمَلۡتُ لَكُمۡ دِينَكُمۡ وَأَتۡمَمۡتُ عَلَيۡكُمۡ نِعۡمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ ٱلۡإِسۡلَٰمَ دِينٗاۚ فَمَنِ ٱضۡطُرَّ فِي مَخۡمَصَةٍ غَيۡرَ مُتَجَانِفٖ لِّإِثۡمٖ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٞ رَّحِيمٞ ٣

    Ḥurrimat ʿalaykumul-maytatu wad-damu wa laḥmul-khinzīri wa mā uhilla lighayrillāhi bihī wal-munkhaniqatu wal-mawqūdhatu wal-mutaraddiyatu wan-naṭīḥatu wa mā akalas-sabuʿu illā mā dhakkaytum wa mā dhubiḥa ʿalan-nuṣubi wa an tastaqsimū bil-azlām, dhālikum fisq, al-yawma yaʾisal-ladhīna kafarū min dīnikum falā takhshawhum wakhshawn, al-yawma akmaltu lakum dīnakum wa atmamtu ʿalaykum niʿmatī wa raḍītu lakumul-islāma dīnā, famaniḍṭurra fī makhmaṣatin ghayra mutajānifil liʾithmin fa innallāha ghafūrur raḥīm.

    Prohibited to you are dead animals,1 blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allāh, and [those animals] killed by strangling or by a violent blow or by a head-long fall or by the goring of horns, and those from which a wild animal has eaten, except what you [are able to] slaughter [before its death], and those which are sacrificed on stone altars,2 and [prohibited is] that you seek decision through divining arrows. That is grave disobedience. This day those who disbelieve have despaired of [defeating] your religion; so fear them not, but fear Me. This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islām as religion. But whoever is forced by severe hunger with no inclination to sin - then indeed, Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.

    Footnotes (2)
    1. See footnote to 2:173.
    2. In the name of anything other than Allāh.
  1. يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِنَّمَا ٱلۡخَمۡرُ وَٱلۡمَيۡسِرُ وَٱلۡأَنصَابُ وَٱلۡأَزۡلَٰمُ رِجۡسٞ مِّنۡ عَمَلِ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنِ فَٱجۡتَنِبُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُفۡلِحُونَ ٩٠

    Yāʾayyuhal-ladhīna āmanū innamal-khamru wal-maysiru wal-anṣābu wal-azlāmu rijsum min ʿamalish-shayṭāni fajtanibūhu laʿallakum tufliḥūn.

    O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters [to other than Allāh], and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid1 it that you may be successful.

    Footnotes (1)
    1. The prohibition understood from the word "avoid" is stronger than if Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿālā) had merely said, "Abstain." The former requires distancing oneself from anything remotely related to these practices.
  2. إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُ أَن يُوقِعَ بَيۡنَكُمُ ٱلۡعَدَٰوَةَ وَٱلۡبَغۡضَآءَ فِي ٱلۡخَمۡرِ وَٱلۡمَيۡسِرِ وَيَصُدَّكُمۡ عَن ذِكۡرِ ٱللَّهِ وَعَنِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةِۖ فَهَلۡ أَنتُم مُّنتَهُونَ ٩١

    Innamā yurīdush-shayṭānu ay yūqiʿa baynakumul-ʿadāwata wal-baghḍāʾa fil-khamri wal-maysiri wa yaṣuddakum ʿan dhikrillāhi wa ʿaniṣ-ṣalāh, fahal antum muntahūn.

    Satan only wants to cause between you animosity and hatred through intoxicants and gambling and to avert you from the remembrance of Allāh and from prayer. So will you not desist?

  3. وَأَطِيعُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُواْ ٱلرَّسُولَ وَٱحۡذَرُواْۚ فَإِن تَوَلَّيۡتُمۡ فَٱعۡلَمُوٓاْ أَنَّمَا عَلَىٰ رَسُولِنَا ٱلۡبَلَٰغُ ٱلۡمُبِينُ ٩٢

    Wa aṭīʿullāha wa aṭīʿur-rasūla waḥdharū, fa in tawallaytum faʿlamū annamā ʿalā rasūlinal-balāghul-mubīn.

    And obey Allāh and obey the Messenger and beware. And if you turn away - then know that upon Our Messenger is only [the responsibility for] clear notification.

  1. لَيۡسَ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ جُنَاحٞ فِيمَا طَعِمُوٓاْ إِذَا مَا ٱتَّقَواْ وَّءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ ثُمَّ ٱتَّقَواْ وَّءَامَنُواْ ثُمَّ ٱتَّقَواْ وَّأَحۡسَنُواْۚ وَٱللَّهُ يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ ٩٣

    Laysa ʿalal-ladhīna āmanū wa ʿamiluṣ-ṣāliḥāti junāḥun fīmā ṭaʿimū idhā mattaqaw wa āmanū wa ʿamiluṣ-ṣāliḥāti thummattaqaw wa āmanū thummattaqaw wa aḥsanū, wallāhu yuḥibbul-muḥsinīn.

    There is not upon those who believe and do righteousness [any] blame concerning what they have eaten [in the past] if they [now] fear Allāh and believe and do righteous deeds, and then fear Allāh and believe, and then fear Allāh and do good; and Allāh loves the doers of good.