Ruling on Music and Chess Issue 1566: Sales Concerning Items of Amusement

Often discussions relating to the Islamic ruling upon music and chess purport to show that there is unanimity of opinion regarding its prohibition. To broaden the discourse on this point, we hereby present for the first time in English, a complete translation of Ibn Hazm's critical analysis of this issue. Famously, he argued that the body of evidence is neither soundly established nor conclusive to support a prohibition. The issue (Mas'ala) is formally titled as: 'Sales Concerning items of Amusement' and appears in the book of sales from his acclaimed work fiqh (jurisprudence), al-Muhalla bil'Athar (The Adorned Treatise). The Renascence Foundation is an independent not-for-profit organisation. We are not affiliated to any government or governmental institution. Our mission is to help revive, reinvigorate and stimulate contemporary Islamic thought by presenting in English key works and principles that have for too long laid dormant and neglected.