‘DON’T ENGAGE IN BETTING AND GAMBLING’-MUSLIMS ADVISED

Muslims in the country have been advised not to engage in getting and gambling if their faith is to be preserved and practised according to the Quran and prophetic tradition.

The call has been made following the growing betting and gambling tendency amongst the faith community, including Islam.

Mufti Abdul Rehman Quadri, head imam at Limbe masjid, mentioned betting and gambling as sinful ( haraam) because Allah has already forbidden it.

Mufti quoted Quran chapter 2 verse 219 and said that it is mentioned in Quran chapter 5 verse 90 and 91.

Mufti Rehman, who is also the principal at Quran academy, says gambling is unlawful means of earning money and its contrary to islam which, he says, encourages had work and advocate for proper distribution of wealth.

“Islam encourages social work like helping the poor, widows and orphans. While a gambler he will be a source of humiliation for his family and will not be able to contribute for society, ” he says.

Rehman also observed that betting and gambling was not giving anything to the society but spoiling or destroying the society.
“This practice is not encouraging hard work since players opt for easy money. Surely, the society cannot flourish through gambling,” he added.

Rehman observes that despite increasing popularity, betting and gambling have exposed their downside.

“We have examples of young people getting into debts to support their addictive betting and gambling habits . They lose their hard_earned money through sports betting and destroy their life due to harmful gambling, ” he said.

According to him, government need to put much emphasis on encouraging the society into industrialization, education, agriculture, science and technology, export trade and skilled labour and entrepreneurship.
Rehman said many people are engaged in fulltime betting and gambling because they do not have expertise where to get money.

“People in the country are hard worker. But because they have nothing to do they thought betting and gambling is the only way to go for self sustenance, ” he said.

Meanwhile, Sheikh Kawinga, the chairman for Muslim forum for democracy (MUSFOLD),has appealed to government and other stakeholders to introduce more development initiatives that would desist people most especially the youth from engaging in betting and gambling as a means of survival.

He said by allowing many betting and gambling companies to ply their trade in the country would have negative consequences in the near future due to the gambling society.

“In fact, we cannot advocate for the government to stop gambling and betting businesses since we know that government collect alit of money (taxes) for its revenue. However, it is a personal choice to engage in this practice. Faith communities need to explore ways of discouraging their members from engaging in this practice, ” said Kawinga.

According to Kawinga, gamblers become destructive for society and set bad examples for young generations.

“This practice is indeed against Shariah law. Its like taking wine or alcohol. Actually, this sin is greater than the profit because what you get is lesser than what you will get after life,” Kawinga said.

In his contribution, one of the renowned moslem scholars, Sheriff Kayisi, says islam is fundamentally an ethical and behavior_oriented doctrine which addresses people’s actions.

Kayisi says as a complete way of life, Islam provides guidance on all issues of human concern.

“There is no single moment that Muslims are allowed at any cost to live their lives away from practising what is obliged to them and ordained by Allah. Any action that is not in conformity with the teachings if Islam is unlawful to be practiced by muslims,” he said.

The licencing and public relations officer for the Malawi gaming and lotteries board, Marriam Kumbuyo, her board receives a lot of common complaints such as family members negligetting things at home.

Kumbuyo said so far her board has managed to send some gamblers for mental health counseling and treatment while others have been banned for life to engage in betting and gambling anywhere in the country due to addictive gambling behavior.

Kumbuyo said her board does not condone harmful betting and gambling behaviour, hence, the decision.

Harmful gambling, she says, is any type of repetitive gambling an individual engages in that leads to/ or aggravates recurring negative consequences such as financial problems, addiction as well as physical and mental health.

According to the laws of Malawi, betting and gambling is legal and the first gambling act was introduced in 1996. The Act established the operations of the gaming board.

The law requires that betting and gambling is open only to persons above 18 years old to avoid exposing young ones to hazardous environments.