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Consider: a couple of friends gather together and organize a football match, where the losers would buy (non-alcoholic) drinks for the winners. Is this kind of challenge acceptable in Islam?
I am confused because while it seems like a form of gambling, there is challenge and effort involved; rather than determining the victor via random chance as with gambling, the stakes would go directly to the person or team demonstrating the most skill.
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " لاَ سَبَقَ إِلاَّ فِي نَصْلٍ أَوْ خُفٍّ أَوْ حَافِرٍ "
Narrated Abu Huraira: That the Prophet (saws) said: "No stake is acceptable except in archery, racing a camel, and racing a horse." [Jami` at-Tirmidhi ]
This hadeeth indicates that it is permissible to make money only in a competition horse,racing a camel,and archery whether it is money from one or both racers, or from an external party such as the State, for example.
This is not to enter the stakes on who wins the people of racers in the remaining games, this is gambling forbidden.
as God said:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّمَا الْخَمْرُ وَالْمَيْسِرُ وَالْأَنصَابُ وَالْأَزْلَامُ رِجْسٌ مِّنْ عَمَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ فَاجْتَنِبُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ المائدة:90
O believers, this wine and gambling, these idols, and these arrows you use for divination, are all acts of Satan; so keep away from them. You may haply prosper. [Al-Ma'ida:90]
