The Quran, as we know, is the holy book by which all Muslims live their lives. It’s full of useful advice about what you should and shouldn’t do in order to be as close to Allah as possible, and we still follow it to this very day. What we often forget, however, is that it was written over 1,400 years ago, and Muhammed, as wise as he was, did not have enough foresight to advise us about absolutely everything for all of time. And while a lot of the Quran’s advice is still relevant to this day, modern society and our technology has created new situations that we may end up in, and it’s rather easy to get confused about whether or not we are allowed to do something that is not explicitly specified in the Quran. One such new technology are the increasingly popular online casinos. As they get gradually legalized all across the world, the question of whether or not it’s sinful to play their games is a very valid one.

What are Halal and Haram?

Halal are all the things that are permissible by the Quran, either explicitly or implicitly. If something is not stated outright as being sinful, and we can not reasonably incur that it might be considered sinful, then it is halal. On the other hand, Haram are all the things that are explicitly stated to be sinful and to lead one away from Allah. Foods such as pork, lard and vanilla, as well as intoxicants such as alcohol, tobacco or drugs. Certain actions are also considered haram, like adultery, sexual relations during a woman’s menstruation, wearing silk cloths by men, etc. The complete list of things that are considered to be haram isn’t awfully long, and most Muslims are taught it at a very early age.

So, Is Gambling Halal or Haram?

That’s actually a bit of a tricky question. Lots of scholars (and websites) will tell you absolutely yes, without a doubt, gambling and betting is haram and a very major sin. They support their arguments with verses from the Quran, such as:

“They ask thee concerning wine and gambling. Say: “In them is great sin, and some profit, for men; but the sin is greater than the profit.” [The Noble Quran, 2:219]

And also:

“O ye who believe! Intoxicants and gambling, stones, and arrows, are an abomination – of Satan’s handwork: eschew such, that ye may prosper.” [The Noble Quran, 5:90]

Well, there we have it, right? It’s right there, black on white, no ambiguity at all – gambling is a sin and an abomination, and that would, by extension, include online gambling. Case closed, let’s move on! Well… It’s actually not that simple.

It’s Not?

Not really. While the Quran does condemn gambling on several occasions, the prophet Muhammed does not. This quote of his can be found in the well-known book “The Lawful and the Prohibited in Islam”, by the Muslim scholar Sheik Yusuf Al-Qaradawi:

He who says to his friend: ‘Come, let us gamble,’ must give charity.

Please notice how he doesn’t say that gambling is an abomination, or that it’s a sin or anything of this nature. In fact, the Prophet has said absolutely nothing that would prohibit gambling in any form. No, all he says is that the profits must be donated to charity. If we take a closer look at the Quran, we can actually find the very same idea rooted in it as well. Remember this quote:

“They ask thee concerning wine and gambling. Say: “In them is great sin, and some profit, for men; but the sin is greater than the profit.”

It’s not gambling that’s condemned, per say – it’s the profit gained from it.

So, What Does That Mean?

It means that playing at the best online casinos is halal, as long as you donate all of your profits to charity. The Quran is quite clear that all of your income and wealth must be earned through your own hard labor – winning the jackpot and keeping it for yourself is a rather grave sin. But if you never withdraw your profits from the casino, or if you do and donate them to charity, then that sin would be absolved. I even believe that the deed of giving away a big sum of money that you have won through gambling to the poor is ultimately going to vastly overshadow the sin you have incurred for gambling in the first place.