Question:
Assalamu alaikum
First of all may Allah accept your endeavor on helping us out on our problems InshaAllah.
My question is approximately a week ago
I went a store and shopped there and they told me that they are organizing a sweepstakes which will last untill the end of the month including 8 fridges 8 washing machines 8 dishwasher 8 owen+stoves 8 vacuum cleaner 8 televisions and an affordable car
Is it permissible to take part in such things? and I didn’t shop there knowing that they were giving away goods .
As it’s a matter of chance not ones own labor I’m in doubt. Please help me out
JazakAllahu Khairan
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
The ruling of various types of sweepstakes, raffles etc. will depend on the conditions of entry into the competition. If one has to pay in order to be included in a prize-draw, then it is certainly haram due to the element of gambling, where the person is risking one’s wealth for the uncertain return of more, lesser or no money. The entrance may be by paying a fee or purchasing a ticket, or an expensive phone call, SMS etc. This type of gambling has been explicitly forbidden in many Ahadith by The Prophet ﷺ.
If however, it is such a sweepstake where one does pay any amount to enter and it is free, then it is permissible to take part in such, and any prize won will be permissible. Such a prize draw where the entry is free, will not constitute gambling.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Arshad Ali
Darul Iftaa, Jaamia Madinatul Uloom (Trinidad)
