Hadith 5.3
Clothing
‘Ali used to say that chess is the <i>maisir</i> of the foreigners. Ibn Shihab told that Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari used to say that only a sinner plays chess. He told that when asked about playing chess he replied that it pertains to what is worthless and that God does not like what is worthless. Baihaqi transmitted the four traditions in <i>Shu’ab al-iman</i>.
وَعَنْ عَلِيٍّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَقُول: الشطرنج هُوَ ميسر الْأَعَاجِم وَعَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ أَنَّ أَبَا مُوسَى الْأَشْعَرِيَّ قَالَ: لَا يلْعَب بالشطرنج إِلَّا خاطئ وَعنهُ أَن سُئِلَ عَنْ لَعِبِ الشَّطْرَنْجِ فَقَالَ: هِيَ مِنَ الْبَاطِلِ وَلَا يُحِبُّ اللَّهُ الْبَاطِلَ. رَوَى الْبَيْهَقِيُّ الْأَحَادِيثَ الْأَرْبَعَةَ فِي شُعَبِ الْإِيمَانِ
Hadith gradings, numbering and translations can differ between editions. For legal rulings or detailed interpretation, consult qualified scholarship and the referenced edition.