Placing money or gifts inside canned goods and merchandise for sale
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Fatwa No. ( 20656 )
Q: A few days ago, I went to one of the grocery stores to buy milk for my children. The seller told me: “We have a type of milk that contains cash prizes in the form of riyals, ranging from one riyal to 500 riyals.” So I bought four cans, hoping for the money. I found one riyal in each of two cans, ten riyals in the third, and 500 riyals in the fourth. Are these amounts permissible for me? If not, what must I do with them? And if it is forbidden, why is it not prohibited so that people do not fall into what is forbidden? Guide us, may Allah reward you with good. .
A: The principle is that it is not permissible to place money or gifts inside canned goods and merchandise for sale; because of the deception involved in this, the aim to attract as many customers as possible, and the diversion of people from the goods of others that do not contain such things. Buying cans of milk that contain money inside them, where the amount varies from can to can, for the sake of the money inside is not permissible in the Shari'ah. Rather, it is a form of gambling (maysir) that Allah has forbidden; because of the excessive uncertainty (gharar) and ignorance involved, and because it falls under usury (riba); because its essence is recovering part of one's money or more than that, and that is usury.
It is forbidden to deal in it; because ignorance of equality is like knowledge of excess. Accordingly, it is not permissible for you to take these amounts that you found inside the milk. You must return them to the owners, the suppliers of the milk, if that is possible for you. Otherwise, dispose of them by giving them in charity to the poor and the needy. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q: A few days ago, I went to one of the grocery stores to buy milk for my children. The seller told me: “We have a type of milk that contains cash prizes in the form of riyals, ranging from one riyal to 500 riyals.” So I bought four cans, hoping for the money. I found one riyal in each of two cans, ten riyals in the third, and 500 riyals in the fourth. Are these amounts permissible for me? If not, what must I do with them? And if it is forbidden, why is it not prohibited so that people do not fall into what is forbidden? Guide us, may Allah reward you with good. .
A: The principle is that it is not permissible to place money or gifts inside canned goods and merchandise for sale; because of the deception involved in this, the aim to attract as many customers as possible, and the diversion of people from the goods of others that do not contain such things. Buying cans of milk that contain money inside them, where the amount varies from can to can, for the sake of the money inside is not permissible in the Shari'ah. Rather, it is a form of gambling (maysir) that Allah has forbidden; because of the excessive uncertainty (gharar) and ignorance involved, and because it falls under usury (riba); because its essence is recovering part of one's money or more than that, and that is usury.
It is forbidden to deal in it; because ignorance of equality is like knowledge of excess. Accordingly, it is not permissible for you to take these amounts that you found inside the milk. You must return them to the owners, the suppliers of the milk, if that is possible for you. Otherwise, dispose of them by giving them in charity to the poor and the needy. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.