Can I play board games with my family at Christmas?

Play is part of family life

The Prophet ﷺ wasn't too serious to play. Aisha said she once raced him on foot and won, and later, when she had put on weight, he won and said: "This is for that outstripping" (Sunan Abi Dawud 2578). Laughing together builds the kind of bond Islam wants you to keep with your family.

In many homes, the afternoon after Christmas lunch is board-game time. Joining in is a simple way to show your parents and siblings that becoming Muslim hasn't made you distant.

The one clear line: betting

Any game becomes haram once real money or prizes paid by the players are at stake. "Loser washes the dishes" for fun is fine; a family poker pot or betting on the outcome is not. For cards specifically, see Can I still play poker with friends as a Muslim if we don't bet money?

What about dice?

The Prophet ﷺ said: "He who played Nardashir (a game similar to backgammon) is like one who dyed his hand with the flesh and blood of swine" (Sahih Muslim 2260). Scholars understand this differently:

• Stricter view: games that depend mainly on dice and luck, like backgammon and possibly Ludo or Monopoly, should be avoided, betting or not.
• Wider view: many contemporary scholars say the problem was the gambling and time-wasting tied to nard, and that dice used only to move pieces in a family game are fine.

Skill games avoid the question entirely: Scrabble, Pictionary, charades, trivia, Jenga, Uno and most cooperative games. For chess, see Is it haram to play chess?

Games to skip or tweak

• Fortune-telling games: Ouija boards and "predict your future" games touch on beliefs Islam rejects.
• Drinking games: a no, even with soda, when everyone else is drinking alcohol.
• Crude party games: some card games are built on vulgar or mocking jokes. Suggest another one.
• Endless sessions: pause for prayer. "Hold my turn, I'll be back in five minutes" is completely normal.