Introduction
Although chess is very popular around the world at present date it hasn’t always been that way throughout history. There have been instances in history where the playing of chess has been forbidden for various reasons. During the rise of the popularity of chess there have been a few prominent figures in history that had a dislike for chess and what chess represented. The evidence of this can be seen in the depictions of some of the chess pieces that have been found throughout the world specifically in the Islamic states.
It’s very well known that chess also known as the game of kings has been strongly associated with wealth ,status and power throughout history. Whilst the individuals in history that gravitated towards chess tended to have an abundance of wealth and power which lead to chess earning the title of the game of kings there were a few figures in history who would prefer if chess were less popular among the people.
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When Was Chess Forbidden In The Islamic States?
Chess was forbidden in the Islamic states temporarily by the ruling of the Muslim theologians as early as the 7th century the reason for the ban was to ascertain whether chess violated the laws of the Qur’an.
The Arabic invasion of Persia awarded the Islamic states not only the spoils of war but the knowledge of chess. Some of the most profound chess players in history came out of the Islamic world however since chess’s introduction to Arabia Muslim theologians have argued whether chess violated the laws of the Qur’an. The Muslims scholars of the 7th century were highly sceptical of chess and had doubts as to whether playing chess would morally corrupt the souls of the Muslims that enjoyed the game in their pastime. Although chess was seen as a vice for various reasons by many of the Muslims of the 7th century a large percentage of the Muslims were very fond of chess. Some of these individuals being prominent figures in society.
For instance the sultans and caliphs of the Islamic states such as Saladin of the 12th century and Harun Al-Rashid of the 8th century were amongst the most highly skilled chess players of the medieval period in the Islamic world. Both Saladin and Harun Al-Rashid shared not only great skill in chess but great admiration for the game and were amongst some of the most diligent advocates for chess in the midst of the unfavourable opinions held by other members of the Muslim community that regarded chess a vice.
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What Was The Reason For Muslim Officials Forbidding Chess?
The Muslim theologians of the medieval period considered chess haram for several reasons. Playing chess was seen as a form of idol worship ,divination and a gateway to gambling and a life of sin. The Qur’an teaches that idol worship is forbidden and the likeness of human figures in chess has been a major cause for concern since the introduction of chess to the Islamic world.
The forbidding of chess by the Islamic world was temporary lasting a few years at the most with the main aim of the temporary ban being to determine whether chess violated any of the laws of the Qur’an. The Muslim theologians of the time ultimately ruled that the playing of chess didn’t violate the laws of the Qur’an as long as certain requirements were met. These requirements being that the chess sets used by Muslims were required to bear no resemblance to any human figure along with the strict prohibition of gambling or profanities whilst playing chess.
The evidence of these early medieval rulings on chess can be seen in the very depictions of the chess board sets found from the medieval period within the Islamic empire. The chess board sets used by the Muslims were plain with all of the pieces looking somewhat identical which could be distinguished from one another by way of strategically placed cuts within the pieces. The boundaries set by the Islamic world on chess has been instrumental in the journey of evolution chess has taken and was a major cause for the European modification of the chess board set due to the difficulty the European population had playing the Islamic version of chess.
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When Was The Ban On Chess Lifted And Why?
The Muslim prohibition of chess was short lived and the ban was lifted within a few years of the ban taking effect after an acceptable conclusion was reached unanimously. The Islamic scholars of the 7th century ruled to lift the ban on chess as long as the chess pieces used by Muslims had no resemblance to any human figure with a stern warning against gambling.
Although there were many in the Islamic community that had unfavourable opinions about chess there were just as many advocates for chess that held sway and fought for the right to play chess. Many of the Caliphs within the Islamic states were avid chess players whose opinions were highly regarded by the majority of those within the Islamic community. The strength of the forces that fought for and against chess were both formidable and although there were strong reasons for chess to be banned according to the laws of the Qur’an as long as an ultimatum could be reached that fell within the confines of the Qur’an chess could be approved.
The popularity of chess within the larger Islamic community played a crucial role in the lifting of the ban on chess. Historically chess has been at the forefront of religious discussions not only in the Islamic world but also within the Christian populace. The church has taken similar measures in history to ban chess as the church claimed that chess was a waste of time and a form of distraction. The popularity of chess in Europe within the inner religious community was the major cause for the ban on chess in Europe. The bishops of Europe shared a deep fondness with chess as did many in the Islamic states. The association chess had with gambling was also a concern for the Christian church and was the cause of the banning of chess in Europe in the middle ages.
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Is Playing Chess A Sin?
There are still many that consider chess to be a game of distractions and a gateway into a life of sin although the opposite is true. There are various opinions on the matter of whether chess is a sin or not depending on the religious viewpoints that are held. In many cultures chess is seen as a subject to be studied and there are many scientific studies that make a compelling case for this argument. Throughout history chess has been at the forefront of religious discussion regarding the purity of the pastime. In the Islamic world the ban on chess was lifted with the focus being on the individual to carry him or herself respectfully whilst playing chess.
The Christians also shared similar doubts that the Muslims held regarding chess and reached a somewhat similar ultimatum that the Muslims were able to agree with amongst their community. The Christian aversion to gambling and idleness being the main area of concern associated with chess can also be categorised as an individual issue as opposed to any negative characteristic found inherently in chess. Therefore the question of whether chess is a sin or encourages sinful behaviour is subjective as the same argument can be made for any pastime.
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Conclusion
There have been many reasons in history for the prohibition of chess not just in the Islamic world but also within the Christian church. The reasons for banning chess within each state has been similar throughout history with the overall popularity of chess overruling the decisions made by sheer demand. The love of chess shared around the world has made it so that at present date we live in a world where there are essentially no limits to the amount of chess you can play both on and offline. The easy access to a chess board historically reserved for the ruling classes and now the advent of online chess has made it possible for anyone can play chess.
