What is the ruling on lease-to-own for cars with a promise of ownership at the end of the contract?

Question:
May Allah reward you, Honorable Shaykh. This is Sami, and he says: What is the ruling on lease-to-own for cars, with a promise of ownership at the end of the contract?

Answer:
This is forbidden, and a decision was issued by the Council of Senior Scholars some time ago. When it was issued, they resorted to deception and said, "No, it is not a sale; it is a lease-to-own with a promise." They left the promise of sale and made it a promise of ownership. This is deception and is not permissible, because this is a sale of an unknown item; it is not known what the item will end up being later.
And later, a sale cannot be conditional; it must be immediate. You do not say, "If such-and-such a month comes, or so-and-so, then I will sell you the house." No, this is not permissible. You sell it to him immediately, and you do not leave the contract like that. Yes.