Ibn al-Qayyim permitted taking prizes in Qur'an or Sunnah competitions; do literary competitions fall under this?

Question:
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. He says: If the competitions are in the Qur'an and the Sunnah, it is permissible to take prizes for them, as Ibn al-Qayyim mentioned. He asks: Do cultural and literary competitions also fall under this?

Answer:
No. One does not take prizes for things that are not religiously prescribed but are merely permissible, such as literature, poetry, and the like. These are permissible, but no prizes are awarded for them. Prizes are awarded for religious matters: yes, for fiqh, memorizing verses, or hadiths; yes, for answering fiqh questions. Grammar and Arabic are also acceptable, because this helps in understanding the Qur'an and the Sunnah, and the Arabic language helps in understanding the Qur'an and the hadiths. Prizes are awarded for these.