The Ruling on Ramadan Riddles That Contain Singing, Music, and Measures

The questioner : This is a question that was raised with the Honorable Shaykh in the previous episode, concerning Ramadan riddles. We have now received a note regarding the inclusion of music and singing in these riddles, as well as the appearance of some girls and the like. The question is renewed regarding the ruling on these riddles?

The Shaykh : And what should I say?

The questioner : The issue of Ramadan riddles involves singing and music.

The Shaykh : Well, these riddles, and as for the name, by Allah, I do not know what these riddles are? Oh, a riddle. What is a riddle? Thank you.
They are puzzles, but it is not clear Arabic, apparently. In any case, I say that if they are accompanied by the appearance of beautiful women or girls, it is obligatory to turn away from them, and it is not permissible to listen to them because they contain music, nor is it permissible to look at them because they contain girls who cause temptation for the viewer. One must turn away from them. However, a person might listen to them from another perspective. But I was told that there is a second harm, which is that they do not accept an answer unless the person pays money. A coupon, he says, no, we do not accept it unless you pay money. By Allah, I do not know if it is five riyals or fifteen riyals, I do not know. Does any of you know?

The questioner : I do not know what it is. There is nothing.

The Shaykh : No, he says there is a coupon that has been placed in the shops and everywhere. Any person who submits a solution must buy this money.

The questioner : It is as if our brother, our master, that the answer is only accepted in this lesson?

The Shaykh : Well, if that is the case, that the answer is not accepted except by purchasing this booklet.
And let us say for five riyals. The one who pays five riyals does not pay for the booklet; the booklet might not be worth even one riyal. He pays for the prize. He does not pay just to have his answer accepted, so that we could say the consideration here is known, which is the acceptance of his answer. No, it is because of this prize that was estimated, without which he would not have submitted an answer. In that case, we have paid five riyals based on the expectation that he will obtain a prize. This prize may or may not be obtained, and it may be many times more than the five riyals, or it may be, I do not know, it might be less. In any case, if you build this on the known principle among the scholars, which is that any contract that revolves between profit and loss falls under gambling (maysir), you will know that this is gambling. Someone might say, "What about the benefit or revenue of this booklet?" It did not go to, or will not go to, those who set up this competition and this prize, so that we could say it is a matter of gambling. Rather, it will be directed to other places. It is said this is correct, but the original transaction for the participant is gambling, because he knows that he is taking a risk: either the five riyals he spent are lost, or he gets more. So in reality, although it is lighter than if the owner of the prize place had taken it, it is included in gambling. And this is a problem that actually arose from the competition this year.

The presenter : Yes.