Is playing chess acceptable in Islam?

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Assalamu Alaykum,


Is playing chess acceptable in Islam if we respect these three conditions?:


- Playing chess doesn't make us miss praying on time.

- We only play chess a few hours a week. So it's only a pastime. We don't play professionally.

- We don't play for money. If we happen to win some money in a chess tournament, we either refuse the money or immediately give it to charity.

[FONT=&quot]If the answer is no, please explain the reasons why chess is forbidden.[/FONT]
 
Why would you think it is not accepted in Islam on the first place?

Ibn Taymiyyah said, “From examining the principles of Sharia, we know that the acts of worship that have been enjoined by Allah or that He loves cannot be proven except through Sharia. With regard to customs, they are things that people are used to doing in their worldly affairs. The basic principle concerning them is that they are not forbidden; nothing of that is forbidden except what Allah and His Messenger have forbidden. That is because commands and prohibitions have to do with the religion of Allah, and acts of worship must necessarily be enjoined. If something is not proven to have been enjoined, then how can it be deemed an act of worship? With regard to customs, if there is no text to prove that a custom is forbidden, how can it be deemed to be forbidden? Hence Ahmad and other scholars of Hadith used to say: The basic principle with regard to acts of worship is caution (tawqeef); no acts of worship are prescribed except that which has been prescribed by Allah the Exalted; if we do not adhere to this principle, we will be included among those referred to in the verse, “Or have they partners with Allah who have instituted for them a religion which Allah has not allowed?” (42:21). The basic principle with regard to customs is that they are permissible and none of them are forbidden except that which Allah has forbidden. If we do not adhere to this principle, we will be included among those referred to in the verse, “Tell me, what provision Allah has sent down to you and you have made of it lawful and unlawful,” (10:59). Hence, Allah condemned the idolaters who introduced things into religion that Allah had not permitted and they forbade things that He had not forbidden.”

Source: Majmu‘ al-Fatawa 29/16-17
قال شيخ ابن تيمية رحمه الله فَباسْتِقْرَاءُ أُصُولِ الشَّرِيعَةِ نعلَم أَنَّ الْعِبَادَاتِ الَّتِي أَوْجَبَهَا اللَّهُ أَوْ أَحَبهَا لَا يَثْبُتُ الْأَمْرُ بِهَا إلَّا بِالشَّرْعِ وَأَمَّا الْعَادَاتُ فَهِيَ مَا اعْتَادَهُ النَّاسُ فِي دُنْيَاهُمْ مِمَّا يَحْتَاجُونَ إلَيْه وَالْأَصْلُ فِيهِ عَدَمُ الْحَظْرِ فَلَا يَحْظُرُ مِنْهُ إلَّا مَا حَظَرَهُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ ، وَذَلِكَ لِأَنَّ الْأَمْرَ وَالنَّهْيَ هُما شَرَع اللَّهُ تَعَالَى وَالْعِبَادَةُ لَا بُدَّ أَنْ تَكُونَ مَأْمُورًا بِهَا فَمَا لَمْ يَثْبُتْ أَنَّهُ مَأْمُورٌ كَيْفَ يُحْكَمُ عَلَيْهِ بِأَنَّهُ عِبَادَةٌ ؟ وَمَا لَمْ يَثْبُتْ مِنْ الْعَادَاتِ أَنَّهُ مَنْهِيٌّ عَنْهُ كَيْفَ يُحْكَمُ عَلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ مَحْظُورٌ ؟ وَلِهَذَا كَانَ أَحْمَدَ وَغَيْرِهِ مِنْ فُقَهَاءِ الْحَدِيثِ يقُولُون إَنَّ الْأَصْلَ فِي الْعِبَادَاتِ التَّوْقِيفُ فَلَا يُشْرَعُ مِنْهَا إلَّا مَا شَرَعَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى وَإِلَّا دَخَلْنَا فِي مَعْنَى قَوْلِهِ أَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَاءُ شَرَعُوا لَهُمْ مِنْ الدِّينِ مَا لَمْ يَأْذَنْ بِهِ اللَّهُ وَالْعَادَاتُ الْأَصْلُ فِيهَا الْعَفْوُ فَلَا يُحْظَرُ مِنْهَا إلَّا مَا حَرَّمَهُ اللَّهُ وَإِلَّا دَخَلْنَا فِي مَعْنَى قَوْلِه قُلْ أَرَأَيْتُمْ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ مِنْ رِزْقٍ فَجَعَلْتُمْ مِنْهُ حَرَامًا وَحَلَالًا وَلِهَذَا ذَمَّ اللَّهُ الْمُشْرِكِينَ الَّذِينَ شَرَّعُوا مِنْ الدِّينِ مَا لَمْ يَأْذَنْ بِهِ اللَّهُ وَحَرَّمُوا مَا لَمْ يُحَرِّمْهُ انتهى​
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29/16-17 مجموع الفتاوى

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darkbro said:
Why would you think it is not accepted in Islam on the first place?

Ibn Taymiyyah said, “From examining the principles of Sharia, we know that the acts of worship that have been enjoined by Allah or that He loves cannot be proven except through Sharia. With regard to customs, they are things that people are used to doing in their worldly affairs. The basic principle concerning them is that they are not forbidden; nothing of that is forbidden except what Allah and His Messenger have forbidden. That is because commands and prohibitions have to do with the religion of Allah, and acts of worship must necessarily be enjoined. If something is not proven to have been enjoined, then how can it be deemed an act of worship? With regard to customs, if there is no text to prove that a custom is forbidden, how can it be deemed to be forbidden? Hence Ahmad and other scholars of Hadith used to say: The basic principle with regard to acts of worship is caution (tawqeef); no acts of worship are prescribed except that which has been prescribed by Allah the Exalted; if we do not adhere to this principle, we will be included among those referred to in the verse, “Or have they partners with Allah who have instituted for them a religion which Allah has not allowed?” (42:21). The basic principle with regard to customs is that they are permissible and none of them are forbidden except that which Allah has forbidden. If we do not adhere to this principle, we will be included among those referred to in the verse, “Tell me, what provision Allah has sent down to you and you have made of it lawful and unlawful,” (10:59). Hence, Allah condemned the idolaters who introduced things into religion that Allah had not permitted and they forbade things that He had not forbidden.”

Source: Majmu‘ al-Fatawa 29/16-17
قال شيخ ابن تيمية رحمه الله فَباسْتِقْرَاءُ أُصُولِ الشَّرِيعَةِ نعلَم أَنَّ الْعِبَادَاتِ الَّتِي أَوْجَبَهَا اللَّهُ أَوْ أَحَبهَا لَا يَثْبُتُ الْأَمْرُ بِهَا إلَّا بِالشَّرْعِ وَأَمَّا الْعَادَاتُ فَهِيَ مَا اعْتَادَهُ النَّاسُ فِي دُنْيَاهُمْ مِمَّا يَحْتَاجُونَ إلَيْه وَالْأَصْلُ فِيهِ عَدَمُ الْحَظْرِ فَلَا يَحْظُرُ مِنْهُ إلَّا مَا حَظَرَهُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ ، وَذَلِكَ لِأَنَّ الْأَمْرَ وَالنَّهْيَ هُما شَرَع اللَّهُ تَعَالَى وَالْعِبَادَةُ لَا بُدَّ أَنْ تَكُونَ مَأْمُورًا بِهَا فَمَا لَمْ يَثْبُتْ أَنَّهُ مَأْمُورٌ كَيْفَ يُحْكَمُ عَلَيْهِ بِأَنَّهُ عِبَادَةٌ ؟ وَمَا لَمْ يَثْبُتْ مِنْ الْعَادَاتِ أَنَّهُ مَنْهِيٌّ عَنْهُ كَيْفَ يُحْكَمُ عَلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ مَحْظُورٌ ؟ وَلِهَذَا كَانَ أَحْمَدَ وَغَيْرِهِ مِنْ فُقَهَاءِ الْحَدِيثِ يقُولُون إَنَّ الْأَصْلَ فِي الْعِبَادَاتِ التَّوْقِيفُ فَلَا يُشْرَعُ مِنْهَا إلَّا مَا شَرَعَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى وَإِلَّا دَخَلْنَا فِي مَعْنَى قَوْلِهِ أَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَاءُ شَرَعُوا لَهُمْ مِنْ الدِّينِ مَا لَمْ يَأْذَنْ بِهِ اللَّهُ وَالْعَادَاتُ الْأَصْلُ فِيهَا الْعَفْوُ فَلَا يُحْظَرُ مِنْهَا إلَّا مَا حَرَّمَهُ اللَّهُ وَإِلَّا دَخَلْنَا فِي مَعْنَى قَوْلِه قُلْ أَرَأَيْتُمْ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ مِنْ رِزْقٍ فَجَعَلْتُمْ مِنْهُ حَرَامًا وَحَلَالًا وَلِهَذَا ذَمَّ اللَّهُ الْمُشْرِكِينَ الَّذِينَ شَرَّعُوا مِنْ الدِّينِ مَا لَمْ يَأْذَنْ بِهِ اللَّهُ وَحَرَّمُوا مَا لَمْ يُحَرِّمْهُ انتهى​
29/16-17 مجموع الفتاوى

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http://www.inter-islam.org/Prohibitions/Chess.html and many other links
 

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