Is a detailed, ranked wager valid when offered to more than two competitors?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Racing and Archery
Primary text
If there are more than two competitors and it is stipulated, "Whoever wins shall have ten, and whoever finishes second shall have the same," the contract is valid. This is because each individual seeks either to be the winner or the one who finishes second, where the second position is defined by having one's head near the heels of the other; 'As-salwan' (the two prominent bones on the sides of the tailbone) are mentioned in this context. An established narration attributes to Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: "Abu Bakr preceded, Umar finished second, and the calamity struck us randomly," and a poet states: "If you hasten to a goal of honor one day, you will meet our predecessors and those who finish second."
Supporting text
The contract remains valid even when assigning specific, decreasing amounts to subsequent ranks: the first (mujli) receives one hundred, the second (musalli) ninety, the third (tali) eighty, and so on down to the tenth (sakit) receiving ten, and the very last (fasqal) receiving five. This is permissible because each person seeks the win, and if that fails, they seek the position immediately following the winner. The term 'fasqal' denotes the last one. This usage extends analogously beyond horse racing, as recounted when Asma bint Umays told Ali, upon marrying him after her marriages to Ja'far ibn Abi Talib and Abu Bakr As-Siddiq, that he was the third in a lineage of excellent men.