Playing backgammon, and reports on it

Sayyiduna Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever plays backgammon (nard) has disobeyed Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)."

Sayyiduna Buraydah (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever plays backgammon (nardashir), it is as though he has dipped his hand in the flesh and blood of a pig."

This saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is also reported from Sulayman bin Buraydah through this chain.

Qatadah said: It has reached us that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about playing with the dice of backgammon. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, this is the gambling of the non-Arabs." The narrator said: Qatadah used to consider playing with anything disliked, even playing with pebbles.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade playing with the dice of backgammon.

Abu Ayyub said that Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "The example of one who plays with the two dice of backgammon without gambling is that of one who applies pig's fat as an oil but does not eat its meat."

Mujahid said that Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: "That I should put my hand in the flesh of a pig is dearer to me than that I should play backgammon."

Burd bin Ma'mar bin Yazid said: I asked Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) about backgammon (nardashir). She said: "Allah has put backgammon far from all good, and Allah Almighty has put whoever plays it far from all good as well."

Abu al-Ashhab al-Nakha'i said: I heard Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) say: "For someone to be smeared with the blood of a pig until it spreads all over him is better than for him to play backgammon."

The father of Ja'far said that Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Backgammon or chess is gambling."

Nafi' said that whenever Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) found the pieces of backgammon in a house, he would break them, and he would beat whoever played with them.

Mis'ar reports from Abd al-Malik bin Umayr that Abu al-Ahwas said, whereas Sufyan reports from Abd al-Malik bin Umayr, from Abu al-Ahwas, that Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Beware of these marked dice which are cast with loud urging, for they are gambling."

Sayyiduna Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever plays backgammon has indeed disobeyed Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)."

Abu Ayyub said that Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Whoever plays backgammon for gambling is like one who eats the flesh of a pig, and whoever plays it without gambling is like one who applies pig's fat as an oil."

Bassam said: I asked Abu Ja'far about backgammon, and he called it disliked.

Salt al-Dahhan said that Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "That I should smear myself with filthy excrement is dearer to me than that I should smear myself with perfume made of saffron. And that I should turn over two burning coals is dearer to me than that I should turn over the dice of backgammon."

Muslim said that whenever Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) passed by people who were playing backgammon, he would keep them tied up until midday.