Download Grade 12 Notes on Gambling and Lottery

Grade 12 Notes:
F4: Dangerous Lifestyles III: Gambling and Lottery
1. Define a) Gambling b) Lottery c) Betting
a. Gambling: It is derived from an Arabic root word that literally means ‘easy’ and it
refers to something, especially money, obtained with almost no effort.
b. Lottery: It is a means of raising money by selling numbered tickets and giving prizes
to the holders of numbers drawn at random. It is a form of gambling.
c. Betting: The action of gambling money on the outcome of a race, game, or other
unpredictable event.
2. What are the Arabic words for gambling, betting and lottery?
The Arabic word for gambling is Maysir and Qimaar and for betting is Yanseb and for lottery
is Rihaan.
3. What are the reasons behind the prohibition of gambling? List four harms of
gambling.
Gambling entails religious, social, moral and economic harms. Some of them are enumerated
below:
a. Gambling distracts one from the remembrance of Allah and Prayer.
b. It sows the seeds of disputes and quarrels among the gamblers, which ultimately
leads to hatred among them.
c. The sin of gambling is greater than its benefit.
d. Gambling is usually associated with increase in crime, suicide, divorce, and other
major epidemics in the society.
4. Suppose you made a mistake and won some money in gambling or from a lottery
ticket. What should you do in this case?
A contemporary scholar in Islam said that it is Haram for the winner of a lottery, betting or
any other form of gambling to keep the money and use it. Scholars advise the person to give it
to the poor people or charity organizations. They should be advised not to use it for buying
food or spend it for spiritual matters like buying copies of the Qur'an, Prayer rugs or for going
to Hajj. They may spend it on clothes, blankets, toys and the like.
5. What is the Islamic rule on gambling? Support your answer with a Hadeeth or
ayah.
Islam forbids gambling in all ways and forms. Any money gained through gambling is
considered Haram. Allah tells us in the Qur'an: ‘They ask you concerning wine and gambling.
Say: In them is great sin and some benefit for people; but the sin in them is greater than their
benefit.’