Back to search

Is it permissible to adopt the view of Sheikh Saad Al-Khathlan regarding the permissibility of playing with contemporary dice, given that it is not the forbidden dice?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

In summary: A distinction must be made between inquiring about the ruling on a matter and the ruling on adopting the opinion of a scholar. The former is based on evidence, while the latter is based on the ruling on taqleed (following a qualified scholar). It is permissible for one who is allowed to practice taqleed to adopt the opinion of a reputable scholar, provided that it is not out of personal caprice. If the muftis (those who issue religious rulings) differ for him, he should follow the one he trusts most.

Sheikh Sa'd al-Khathlan mentioned that playing with nard (backgammon) is forbidden by consensus, but it is not the zahr (dice) game known today. Rather, it is similar to the game of backgammon, and it was invented by one of the Persian kings and had certain beliefs associated with it, which is why it was prohibited. Whereas playing with the nard (dice) known currently (al-zahr) is originally permissible, unless it leads to something forbidden or distracts one from an obligation. A number of Hadith commentators and others preceded him in this definition, affirming that the forbidden nard is a game with Magian origins and astrological symbols, different from the contemporary dice game.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

Read the full answer on Ftawy