Statement from the Committee regarding gambling in newspaper contests
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Praise be to Allah alone, and may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions. After that: Many questions have reached the Committee regarding the ruling on the contests conducted by some newspapers, which they publicize to the people and through which they collect money from them, such as when a contestant sends a message via mobile phone with a monetary amount, and the newspaper holds a lottery to select one of the senders to give them the prize.
The Committee has studied this matter carefully and has determined that holding these contests and taking prizes for them is forbidden; because they are a form of maysir (gambling) which Allah has forbidden in His Book, as He said:[Al-Ma'idah 5:90-91] in Surat al-Ma'idah.
Maysir is: betting that involves risk, gharar (excessive uncertainty), ignorance, and consuming the wealth of people without right. The Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said: "Gambling is the risk that revolves around the possibility that the one who puts up the money either gains, loses, or breaks even." These contests are based on risk; because they involve a certain loss and a possible gain. Furthermore, this is consuming the wealth of people without right. Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Baqarah 2:188], and He said: [An-Nisa 4:29]. It is obligatory for press agencies to stay away from the forbidden means of deception used to collect money. And whoever has contradicted what has been mentioned must repent to Allah the Exalted, leave these forbidden actions, and seek livelihood through lawful means. In the halal (lawful) there is sufficiency from the haram (forbidden). Previously, the Council of the Senior Scholars issued its decision dated 26/2/1410 AH, number (162), which included the prohibition of commercial contests promoted through some media outlets or through some commercial institutions to seek to obtain large amounts of money, relying on deceiving and misleading the general public, because these contests involve consuming
the wealth of people without right, because every participant pays a sum of money as a risk, and he does not know whether he will receive a return or not? And this is gambling.
The Committee has studied this matter carefully and has determined that holding these contests and taking prizes for them is forbidden; because they are a form of maysir (gambling) which Allah has forbidden in His Book, as He said:
(90) O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters [to other than Allah], and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful. (91) Satan only wants to cause between you animosity and hatred through intoxicants and gambling and to avert you from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer. So will you not desist?
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّمَا الْخَمْرُ وَالْمَيْسِرُ وَالأَنْصَابُ وَالأَزْلامُ رِجْسٌ مِنْ عَمَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ فَاجْتَنِبُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ (90) إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَنْ يُوقِعَ بَيْنَكُمُ الْعَدَاوَةَ وَالْبَغْضَاءَ فِي الْخَمْرِ وَالْمَيْسِرِ وَيَصُدَّكُمْ عَنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَعَنِ الصَّلاةِ فَهَلْ أَنْتُمْ مُنْتَهُونَMaysir is: betting that involves risk, gharar (excessive uncertainty), ignorance, and consuming the wealth of people without right. The Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said: "Gambling is the risk that revolves around the possibility that the one who puts up the money either gains, loses, or breaks even." These contests are based on risk; because they involve a certain loss and a possible gain. Furthermore, this is consuming the wealth of people without right. Allah the Exalted said:
And do not consume one another's wealth unjustly
وَلا تَأْكُلُوا أَمْوَالَكُمْ بَيْنَكُمْ بِالْبَاطِلِdo not consume one another's wealth unjustly but only [in lawful] business by mutual consent
لا تَأْكُلُوا أَمْوَالَكُمْ بَيْنَكُمْ بِالْبَاطِلِ إِلا أَنْ تَكُونَ تِجَارَةً عَنْ تَرَاضٍ مِنْكُمْthe wealth of people without right, because every participant pays a sum of money as a risk, and he does not know whether he will receive a return or not? And this is gambling.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.