George Sale, The Koran, commonly called the Alcoran of Mohammed, translated into English immediately from the original Arabic; with Explanatory Notes, taken from the most approved Commentators. To which is prefixed A Preliminary Discource (1734)
images: wherefore the Sonnites always play with plain pieces of wood or ivory; but the Pesians and Indians, who are not so scrupulous, continue to make use of the carved ones 1.
The Mohammedans comply with the prohibition of gaming much better than they do with that of wine; for though the common people, among the Turks more frequently, and the Persians more rarely, are addicted to play, yet the better sort are seldom guilty of it 2.
Gaming, at least to excess, has been forbidden in all well-ordered states. Gaming-houses were reckoned scandalous places among the Greeks, and a gamester is declared by Aristotle 3 to be no better than a thief: the Roman senate made very severe laws against playing at games of hazard 4, except only during the Saturnalia; though the people played often at other times, notwithstanding the prohibition: the civil law forbad all pernicious games 5; and though the laicy were, in some cases, permitted to play for money, provided they kept within reasonable bounds, yet the clergy were forbidden to play at tables (which is a game of hazard,) or even to look on while others played 6. Accursius, indeed, is of opinion they may play at chess, notwithstanding that law, because it is a game not subject to chance 7, and being but newly invented in the time of Justinian, was not then known in the western parts. However the monks for some time were not allowed even chefs 8.
As to the Jews, Mohammed’s chief guides, they also highly disapprove gaming: gamesters being severely censured in the Talmud, and their testimony declared invalid 9.
Of the prohibition of divining arrows.
Another practice of the idolatrous Arabs forbidden also in one of the above-mentioned passages 10, was that of divining by arrows. The arrows used by them for this purpose were like those with which they cast lots, being without heads or feathers, and were kept in the temple of some idol, in whose presence they were consulted. Seven such arrows were kept at the temple of Mecca 11; but generally in divination they made use of three only, on one of which was written, My Lord hath commanded me, on another,
1 V. Hyde, ubi sup. p. 9.
2 V. Eundem, in Proleg. & Chardin, Voy. de Perse. T. 2. p. 46.
3 Lib. 4. ad Nicom.
4 V. Horat. l. 3. Carm. Od. 24.
5 ff. de aleatoribus. Novell. Just. 123, &c. V. Hyde, ubi sup. in Hist, Aleæ, p. 119.
6 Authent. interdicimus, c. de episcopis.
7 In com. ad legem præd.
8 Du Fresne, in Gloss.
9 Bava Mesia, 84. 1, Rosh hahana, & Sanhedr. 24. 2. V. etiam Maimon. in tract. Gezila. Among the modern civilians, Mascardus thought common gamesters were not to be admitted as witnesses, being infamous persons. V. Hyde, ubi sup. in Proleg. & in Hist. Aleæ, §. III.
11 See before, p. 20.
