assalamu alaykum,
One of the characteristics of the hypocrite is to question in order to seek an answer that is appealing to him/her, if it’s not appealing, the person making the statement is an "extremist" or "fundamentalist".
Some things that are clearly stated in the Quran, such as prohibition of Interest, gambling etc are issues which somehow have become "controversial" due to the attachment of people to these things (primarily because of the love of the duniya).
How many times do we hear,
"I just play the lotto once a month, once a year... come on its only 2 bucks and believe me if I win a Million dollars, $200,000 is going to the Masjid, another $100,000 is going to charity.." Then you hear them say bismillah when scratching a lotto, or waiting to see the numbers.
Since we have ended up in a time when direct orders from Allah are not as important as "western scholars such as professors". Here is something that western scholars have to say from a textbook I was using in class. (Consumer Behaviour pg. 24)
"There are 62 casinos in Canada, 39 of which opened between 95 and 05. In addition, there are 87,000 slot machines and video lottery terminals, 250 racetracks and off-track betting theatres, 33,000 lottery ticket centres, and 25,000 charitable gaming licences. The result is windfall profits for provincial governments, which collected $7 BILLION - or $375 per adult in 2004. As for the 1.2 MILLION Canadians who struggled with gambling disorders and addiction, governments spent $63 per problem gambler on treatment programs. It seems the house always wins!"
“…Whether it takes the form of casino gambling, playing the slots, betting on sports events with friends or through a bookie, or buying lottery tickets, excessive gambling can be quite destructive. Taken to extremes it can result in lowered self esteem, debt, divorce, and neglected children.”
Wisdom behind the Prohibition of Gambling:
http://islamqa.com/en/ref/4013/gambling
- Fares Elahi
