شطرنج
Shaṭranj
Topic
A hadith compares playing chess to dyeing one’s hand in the blood and flesh of swine, but scholars have differed on it.
What it means
Sahih Muslim has a report from Buraydah that whoever plays nardashīr (backgammon) is as one who dyes his hand with swine’s flesh and blood. The word in this hadith refers to backgammon, a dice game. Chess was played in the Muslim world from the seventh century on, and scholars differed: some considered it disliked or forbidden, others lawful if it does not distract from prayers or involve gambling.