MILF: Editorial -- Gambling is evil

Editorial posted to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front Website (Dec 23): Editorial -- Gambling is evil   

Gambling in all its forms should not be allowed to proliferate; it does not give any benefit to the people in general.  One, two, or few may win but clearly at the expense of the losers and their families – and society.

We laud the decision of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte in banning all online gambling operations in the country, saying they have no positive effects on the economy. We hope the ban will cover all gambling in Moro areas, because Islam strictly prohibits it in all its forms.

President Duterte has made many policies or decisions that are similar to those of the MILF. Certainly, he did not copy what the MILF had done and is doing but merely the confluence of two situations: He and MILF are doing things rightly, such as banning smoking, war on drugs, and campaign against kidnapping, abhorrence of gambling, solving conflicts peacefully, strict distaste for corruption, and many more. As a revolutionary organization, the MILF strives to improve or even alter the prevailing system which is exploitative, oppressive, and feudal. It is a tall order and is protracted but it gives moving on and on.

However, President Duterte and MILF differ on the degree of prohibition and the basis for making such decisions. Clearly, Duterte’s decision is based on conscience, rationality and the need for good governance, while the MILF’s is anchored on the teachings of Islam, which is not time-bound and subject to some conditions.

In banning gambling, which strictly covers only Muslims, Almighty Allah says in the Qur’an (5:90): "O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters [to other than Allah], and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful.”

The other reasons, which falls within the purview of Allah being all-knowing and all-wise, are as follows:

Gambling makes a person rely on accidents, luck and wishful thinking for his earnings, instead of hard work, the sweat of his brow;

It destroys families and causes the loss of wealth through haraam (unlawful) means. It makes rich families poor and humiliates proud souls;

It results in enmity and hatred among the players, because they are consuming one another’s wealth unlawfully and getting wealth unlawfully;

It turns people away from the remembrance of God and from prayer, and pushes the players to have the worst of attitudes and habits;

It is a sinful hobby that wastes time and effort, and makes people get used to laziness and idleness. It stops the people from working and producing;

It pushes people to commit crimes because the one who is penniless wants to get hold of money in any way he can, even if he has to steal it or take it by force, or through accepting bribes and cheating; it causes stress, illness and nervous breakdowns;

It breeds hatred and in most cases leads to crime, suicide, insanity and chronic illness;

It pushes the gambler to bad behaviour such as drinking alcohol and taking drugs. The atmosphere in which gambling takes place is dimly lit and filled with cigarette smoke; people talk in hushed voices and whispers, and sneak in and out as if they are up to no good. They come in hesitantly, filled with suspicion, and gather around the green table, breathing uneasily and with their hearts pounding.

They are supposed to be friends playing a game, but in reality they are enemies, each of them lying in wait for the other and trying to make gains at the expense of the other and his children.

The owner of the place tries to numb the feelings of all participants by offering dreamy music, fallen women, all kinds of drinks and cigarettes.

The green table is surrounded with cheating and deception. The waiters and girls may tell one player about another player’s cards, helping one player to beat another by means of nods and whispers. Sometimes they achieve a kind of balance to make sure the game carries on and people stay for longer.

No doubt everyone loses in the end; they lose the money they spend on drinks and cigarettes, the money they give to the waiters, the money they spend on drinks for the girls, and all kinds of other losses. Even the one who wins all or most of the games loses all or most of his winnings, and the loser loses everything.

And at the end of the night, they all sneak away; showing the signs of depression and humiliation, and the loser warns the winner to look out the next day; and

In gambling, one’s gain is another’s loss.

http://www.luwaran.net/home/index.php/editorial/26-january-24-31/1009-gambling-is-evil