Daily Reminders

SubhanAllah

I gave a Khutbah weeks ago about sports betting.

Today’s World Cup match is reportedly the most gambled-on event in sports history.

Ten years ago there was friction between you and gambling. You had to go to Vegas. You had to find a bookie. Now it’s in your pocket. Every timeout, every halftime, “brought to you by” a betting app. $1.4 billion in advertising, aimed right at young men 18 to 25, dressed up to look like the video games they already love.

Why is it haram? Because Islam is built on value for value. You give something of worth, you get something of worth. Win-win.

Gambling is the opposite: I only win when you lose. And Allah told us what that breeds — *”Shaytan only wants to plant enmity and hatred between you through gambling, and turn you away from the remembrance of Allah.”* (5:91)

Enmity. Hatred. And it’s always the poor and the young who lose, because the house always wins.

Shaytan never says “let me put you $10,000 in debt.” He says “just come watch the game with the guys.”

This is the challenge of our moment. We are at the precipice with gambling where po*******hy was years ago, moving from the public sphere to the convenience and anonymity of cell phones, and unless legislation is enacted to protect people from this targeting, our young man may be spiritually and financially ruined before they ever get a chance to start on life.

Alhamdulillah for Islam

May Allah bless this ummah and guide us to the straight path. May Allah grant us righteous and pious leaders. Ameen

Alhamdulillah for all