'A waste of time': Saudi Arabian Grand Mufti bans chess

Arabic tweeters have joined in debate after an Islamic cleric banned the game of chess.

a chess board and unemptied ashtrays are seen in an abandoned house in the near-deserted and heavily-bombed village of Yaroun in southern Lebanon Source: AAP

A video clip of Saudi Arabia's top cleric saying that the game of chess is "forbidden" in Islam because it wastes time and leads to rivalry among people has provoked heated debate, and widespread criticism, among Arabic Twitter users.

Some Twitter users mocked Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdelaziz Al Sheikh, saying chess is an intelligent game, while others defended his religious advice.

The clip was shared on YouTube in December, only gaining traction in recent days.

It's not the first time an ultraconservative Muslim scholar has urged people to avoid the game.

Iran's Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani previously declared that chess is religiously prohibited because it could be used for gambling, which is not permissible in Islam.