Fatwa no. 17015 Praise be to Allah alone and peace and blessings be upon the last Prophet. The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta' has looked into the query, no. 1209, dated 16/7/1414, which has been sent to His Eminence the Grand Mufty from His Excellency the general director of Awareness and Guidance Department of the General Presidency of The Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (CPVPV). (Part No. 15; Page No. 223) The query which has been passed to them by the General Secretariat of the Council of Senior Scholars on 22/7/1414 AH under no. 3411 is about the Monopoly board game which is described as follows: A 50 x 50 cm paper board is divided into small squares each of them has a name and a set value. These spaces are properties or railway stations. The theme of the game is based on purchasing these properties or railways and making investments by receiving given amounts of money paid by other players who land on them. There are two to six players, as well as one player who acts as the bank who gives an amount to each player at the start of the game as a gift. A typical turn begins with the rolling of the dice and advancing clockwise around the board the corresponding number of squares. If the player lands on an unowned property, he has the option of purchasing the property or passing it. For receiving a higher rent, the player buys tokens of hotels (houses) from the bank to be placed on his own spaces. He may also mortgage his properties in the bank (Part No. 15; Page No. 224) to take a loan. Moreover, there are some chance spaces with cards: 'Take a sum of money from the bank', 'Give a sum of money to the bank', etc.

A: Having discussed the query, the Committee responds as follows: This game is Haram (prohibited) for several reasons: it falls under gambling when money is fixed for the winner, as it is a game of chance. It also involves vain distraction, frequent quarrel, hindering from performing Salah (Prayer) and Dhikr (remembrance of Allah), and exciting enmity and hatred among the players. Allah (Exalted be He) says, O you who believe! Intoxicants (all kinds of alcoholic drinks), and gambling, and Al-Ansâb, and Al-Azlâm (arrows for seeking luck or decision) are an abomination of Shaitan’s (Satan) handiwork. So avoid (strictly all) that (abomination) in order that you may be successful. Shaitân (Satan) wants only to excite enmity and hatred between you with intoxicants (alcoholic drinks) and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allâh and from As-Salât (the prayer). So, will you not then abstain? May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.