Scholars destroy the lie, that chess is forbidden only as gambling

Abu l-Qasim Al-Khu’i said:

اللعب بآلات القمار كالشطرنج، والدوملة، والطاولي وغيرها مما أعد لذلك حرام مع الرهن، ويحرم أخذ الرهن أيضا، ولا يملكه الغالب. ويحرم اللعب بها إذا لم يكن رهن أيضا

,,Playing with gambling tools such as chess, dominoes, backgammon and other devices for it is forbidden with betting and it is likewise forbidden to accept the bet and the winner will not get possession of it and likewise playing with it is forbidden if there is no betting.” [Minhaj-us-Salihin, Volume 2, Page 7, Number 19.]

Ali As-Sistani said:

يحرم اللعب بالشطرنج سواء أكان اللعب بها بمال أم بدون مال

,,It is forbidden to play chess, whether it is played for money or without money.” [Al-Fiqh Lil-Mustaghribin, page 297, number 469]

Husain Wahid Al-Khurasani said:

اللعب بآلات القمار كالشطرنج، والدوملة، والطاولي وغيرها مما أعد لذلك حرام مع الرهن، ويحرم أخذ الرهن أيضا، ولا يملكه الغالب. ويحرم اللعب بها إذا لم يكن رهن أيضا

,,Playing with gambling tools such as chess, dominoes, backgammon and other devices for it are forbidden with betting and it is also forbidden to accept the bet and the winner does not come into its possession and likewise playing with them is forbidden when there is no betting.“ [Minhaj-us-Salihin, Volume 3, Page 10, Number 19.]

Muhammad Sadiq As-Sadr is asked:

ما حكم اللَعِب بالات القمار مثل الورق والنَرّْد وسائر وسائل القمار الأخرى في حالة قصد الربح والخسارة أو عدمه للعب فقط؟

,,What is the verdict on gambling with betting tools such as cards, tricktrack and the rest of the other betting tools in the case of the intention of winning and losing or without it, just for play?”

To which he replies:

أما مع وجود الربح أو اشتراطه أو التسبيب إليه فهو قِمار مُحَرَّم مهما كان نوع اللعبة. وأما بدونه فالشطرنج والطاولي والدومنة حرام ولعب الورق مخالف للاحتياط الوجوبي. وكل لعبة تستلزم محرما فهي محرمة. وإلا فهي جائزة

,,As for that, which is connected with profit, or with its precondition, or indirect causation to it, then that is the prohibited gambling, no matter what form of game, and as for that, which is without it, chess, backgammon, and dominoes are prohibited and playing with cards is against obligatory precaution and any game, which implies the prohibited, is prohibited and if not, then it is permitted.” [Fiqh-ul-Mujtama’, page 50, number 141]

Muhammad Is’haq Al-Fayyad says:

اللعب بآلات القمار كالشطرنج والدوملة، والطاولي وغيرها مما أعد لذلك حرام مع الرهن، ويحرم على الغالب أخذ الرهن من المغلوب ولا يملكه، وهل يحرم اللعب بها إذا لم يكن رهن أو لا؟ والجواب: الظاهر أنه يحرم مطلقا كان هناك رهن أم لا

,,Playing with betting tools such as chess, dominoes, backgammon and other devices for it is forbidden with bet and it is forbidden for the winner to take the bet from the loser and it does not come into his possession and is playing with them forbidden if there is no bet or not?” The answer is: the obvious is that it is absolutely forbidden whether there is a bet or not.” [Minhaj-us-Salihin, Volume 2, Page 110, Number 212]

Muhammad Sadiq Ar-Rawhani said:

اللعب بآلات القمار كالشطرنج، والدوملة، والطاولي وغيرها مما أعد لذلك حرام مع الرهن، ويحرم أخذ الرهن أيضا، ولا يملكه الغالب. ويحرم اللعب بها إذا لم يكن رهن أيضا

,,Playing with betting tools such as chess, dominoes, backgammon and other devices for it is prohibited with betting and it is also prohibited to accept the bet and the winner does not get possession of it and likewise playing with them is prohibited when there is no betting.” [Minhaj-us-Salihin, Volume 2, page 19-20, number 1606]

Muhammad Sa’id al-Hakim is asked:

ما هو حكم لعب لعبة الشطرنج ؟ وما هم حكم بيعها ؟ وشراؤها ؟ وصناعتها ؟

,,What is the verdict on playing chess? And what is the verdict on its sale? And its purchase? And its manufacture?”

To which he replies:

لا يجوز اللعب به مطلقاً ، سواء كان برهن أم لم يكن برهن ، وكذا لا يجوز بيعها ، وشراؤها ، وصناعتها ، والنّصوص في ذلك كثيرة ، ولا يسعنا الاستدلال على ذلك

,,Playing with it is absolutely not allowed, whether that is with betting or without betting and likewise, its sale is not allowed and its buying and manufacturing and the textual evidences of that are numerous and we are not given the opportunity of proving it.” [AlHakeem.Com, Number 274]

Jawad At-Tabrizi says:

اللعب بآلات القمار كالشطرنج، والدوملة، والطاولي وغيرها مما أعد لذلك حرام مع الرهن، ويحرم أخذ الرهن أيضا، ولا يملكه الغالب. ويحرم اللعب بها إذا لم يكن رهن أيضا

,,Playing with betting tools such as chess, dominoes, backgammon and other devices for it is forbidden with betting and it is also forbidden to accept the bet and the winner does not get possession of it and likewise playing with them is forbidden if there is no bet.“ [Minhaj-us-Salihin, Volume 2, Page 11, Number 19.]

Sadiq Ash-Shirazi is asked:

ما حكم لعب الشطرنج والورق وغيرهما من آلات القمار, ولكن من دون شرط ولا رهان؟ وهل الحكم نفسه ينطبق عليهما فيما إذا ما لعبت عبر الكمبيوتر؟

,,What is the verdict on playing chess and cards and other betting tools, but with no precondition and no bet? And does the same judgment apply to both when played on a computer?”

To which he replies:

آلات القمار المنصوصة, وما وضع للمقامرة, وما يتقامر به عادة يحرم اللعب به مطلقاً حتى وإن كان بلا شرط ورهان, كما يحرم بيعه وشراؤه واقتناؤه في البيت أيضاً, نعم الشطرنج بخصوصه حرمة شديدة وأكيدة فلا يجوز اللعب به مطلقاً حتى لمفرده – عبر مثل الكمبيوتر والجوال – أيضاً، وأما غير الشطرنج، فاللعب به لمفرده ـ عبر الكمبيوتر والجوال ـ فقط جائز

,,Playing with textual gambling tools and with that for which a bet is set up and with which one usually bets with each other is absolutely forbidden, even without precondition and bet, just as its sale, buying and its acquisition at home are forbidden. Yes, especially for chess there is a very strict prohibition. Therefore, playing with it is absolutely not allowed for the individual as on the computer or cell phone and as for other than chess, playing with it is only allowed for the individual on the computer and cell phone.” [Arabic.Shirazi.Ir, number 358.]

Muhammad Jamil Hammud Al-Amili is asked:

هناك شبه يثيرها البعض فكيف نرد عليهم اذا احد المراجع يفتي بحلية لعب الشطرنج واخر بحرمته حتما احد الرايين خطأ

,,There are bogus arguments, that some raise. How shall we answer them? If one of the models of imitation (Marja’) declares playing chess permissible and another declares it forbidden, then one of the two opinions is definitely wrong.”

To which he replies:

الشطرنج حرام شرعاً بالنصوص المتواترة وحرمته مورد إتفاق بين أعلام الإمامية قديماً وحديثاً إلا من شرذمة مالت في استنباطها بحلية الشطرنج إلى مذهب الشافعية، وقد قام الإجماع القطعي بأقسامه الأربعة على حرمة الشطرنج، ومن يقول بحلية الشطرنج لا يفقه شيئاً من أحكام آل محمد عليهم السلام وهو صاحب بدعة فلا يجوز تقليده شرعاً ومن قلَّده مأثوم ومعاقب عند الله تعالى عقاباً اليماً، فحرمته ليست مورد خلاف بين فقهاء الإمامية حتى تقولون بأن مرجعاً يحلله وآخر يحرمه، بل إن من يحلل الشطرنج لا نعتبره عالماً جامعاً لشرائط الفتوى، فضلاً عن أن يكون مرجعاً للتقليد

,,Chess is legally prohibited according to consecutive textual evidence and on the prohibition of it the earlier and later notable scholars of the Imamites are in agreement, except for a small group who in their conclusion for the permission of chess have taken preference with the view of the Shafi’ites and through its four categories the definite consensus on the prohibition of chess has been reached and whoever declares chess permissible has not understood anything from the rulings of the family of Muhammad (s.) and he is an innovator.”Thus, it is not legally permissible to imitate him and whoever imitates him is a sinner and will receive a painful punishment from God. Therefore, the prohibition of it among the knowledgeable of the Imamites is not subject to disagreement, so that you might say that one model of imitation (Marja’) permits it while another prohibits it. Rather, we do not recognize the one who permits chess as a scholar qualified to give legal opinions and he would not be a model of imitation.” [Aletra.Org, Number 726]

Comment:

The scholars are the heirs of the prophets? Representatives of the Imams? Follow them? Slogans which probably apply only to the personal object of worship.