Play (la'ib), fiqh rulings

Playing, la'b, in lexicon is the opposite of seriousness: doing something without a right purpose; some define it as an act for pleasure that does not consider wisdom. Its link to lahw is that all lahw is play, but play is not always lahw, since play can be for discipline, such as chess ^{1 2}.

Some play is lawful, such as racing on foot or by boat, on the report that the Prophet ﷺ raced Aisha and said this is for that; it is lawful on conditions: no baseness, no harm to a person or animal, no distraction from prayer or a duty, and no lying oath ². Playfulness and fun with one's wife and child are lawful ². Archery and the lance, which serve in war, are recommended, on the verse of the surah of the Spoils (verse 60) cited without quoting and the hadith that strength is archery ^{2 3}.

Playing with birds and pigeons is disliked, since it does not befit the honourable and distracts from worship ³. Any game involving gambling is forbidden, as one of the games of chance God ordered avoided, in the surah of the Table (verses 90 and 91) ³. Backgammon is forbidden to the majority of Hanafis, Malikis, the sounder Shafi'i view and Hanbalis, on the hadith that whoever plays backgammon has dipped his hand in pig's flesh and blood ³.

The jurists agree that chess is forbidden when played for a stake or when it entails missing an obligation, a lie or harm ³. Otherwise, the school of the Malikis and Hanbalis, and the views of al-Halimi and al-Ruyani among the Shafi'is, forbid it outright, with reports from Ali, Ibn Umar, Ibn Abbas and Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib, and the analogy with backgammon ^{3 4}. The Hanafis, Shafi'is and one Maliki view hold it disliked, as a form of diversion, on the hadiths that everything without God's remembrance is diversion except four things ⁴. Abu Yusuf and one Shafi'i and Maliki view allow it, since the original rule is permission and it sharpens the mind ^{4 5}.

One who plays backgammon repeatedly has his testimony rejected, said Malik. A chess player's testimony is rejected in cases the consensus forbids; the Malikis reject it only for addiction, the Shafi'is only when combined with gambling, indecency or missing prayer on purpose, the Hanbalis reject it outright unless he follows a school that permits it, and the Hanafis reject it for gambling, missing prayer, excessive swearing, playing in the road or a sinful remark ^{5 6}.