Answer
Wa `alaykum as-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
When is online poker considered haram?
- If it involves betting or monetary transactions.
- When played as a form of gambling based on luck.
- If it distracts from religious duties like prayer.
- When it negatively affects work, study, or responsibilities.
- If it encourages addiction or wasteful behavior.
In his response to your question, Prof. Dr. Monzer Kahf, Professor of Islamic Finance and Economics at Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies, states:
Any game that involves payment of money on the basis of chance is not permissible in the Shari`ah. Poker, like any others, may or may not involve losing/gaining money. If it does not involve that and used just for entertainment at times that do not take over any prayer, work, study or doing any useful service, is not then forbidden (haram).
For more, see these fatwas:
Allah Almighty knows best.
