Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti Declares Chess ‘Haram and Forbidden’
Saudi Arabia’s highest-ranking religious official classified chess as a form of “gambling” and a cause of “wasting time and money.” He also claimed that chess fosters “hatred and enmity.”
Sheikh Abdulaziz al-Sheikh, the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, issued a fatwa declaring the game of chess forbidden and “haram.”
According to a report by The Guardian, Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti classified chess as a form of “gambling” and described chess as causing “waste of time and money.”
Sheikh Abdulaziz al-Sheikh also claimed that chess causes “hatred and enmity” between the players, which is another reason for prohibiting this game.
The Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia justified his fatwa by referring to a Quranic verse that classifies “intoxicants, gambling, idolatry, and divination” as haram.
The statements from Saudi Arabia’s highest-ranking religious authority were met with numerous reactions on social media.
One member of Saudi Arabia’s Chess Federation, who requested anonymity, told CNN that they were “shocked and stunned” by the Grand Mufti’s fatwa and are awaiting clearer explanations regarding the reasoning behind this position.
This member of Saudi Arabia’s Chess Federation stated that the federation has not yet received an official directive banning chess.
This is not the first time a Muslim religious authority has banned chess. Following the Islamic Revolution in Iran, Ayatollah Khomeini, the former leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, also issued a fatwa declaring chess forbidden “if it constitutes gambling.”
Currently, Iran’s Chess Federation operates extensive activities, and Iranian chess players participate in various international competitions.
