In Islam, Maisir ( or qimâr) refers to gambling. Maisir is totally prohibited by Islamic law (Sharia) on the grounds that:<blockquote>the agreement between participants is based on immoral inducement provided by entirely wishful hopes in the participants' minds that they will gain by mere chance, with no consideration for the possibility of loss.</blockquote>
Both qimar and maisir refer to games of chance, but qimar is a kindâÂÂor subsetâÂÂof maisir. Author Muhammad Ayub defines maisir as:<blockquote>...wishing something valuable with ease and without paying an equivalent compensation for it or without working for it, or without undertaking any liability against it by way of a game of chance,</blockquote>Another sourceâÂÂFaleel JamaldeenâÂÂdefines it as "the acquisition of wealth by chance (not by effort)". Ayub defines qimar as:<blockquote>also mean[ing] receipt of money, benefit or usufruct at the cost of others, having entitlement to that money or benefit by resorting to chance;</blockquote>Jamaldeen also refers to maisir as: "any game of chance".
It is stated in the Quran that games of chance which include money, including maisir, are a "grave sin" and "abominations of Satan's handiwork". It is also mentioned in the Hadith.