Ruling on Taking Prizes from Merchants for Those Who Buy from Them
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Your Eminence! I have a book titled: Lessons and fatwas of the Makkah Haram for your eminence,It contains a question addressed to you: What is your eminence’s opinion regarding what some merchants do in distributing cards with their displays, such that whoever buys a certain amount receives a specific prize, or they are in the form of fragmented stickers, so that whoever obtains all the parts receives what is in the image.
And at the end of your answer: And a third form that the questioner did not mention: for example, the seller says: whoever buys an amount of one thousand riyals, a lottery will be held between him and others for a prize of, say, fifty riyals.
There is no doubt in the prohibition of these, and they are not permissible.
This was in your answer, and I heard from more than one person that you permitted for some shops in Unaizah, such as al-'Aziziyah markets, to place prize cars, with a lottery for the buyers, so that whoever it is his share takes it.
So what is the difference between this and that?
The difference between them: That if the buyer buys at the usual price without an increase and nothing is taken from him, he is either safe or a winner.
And in the example we mentioned, he pays, but he pays something before participating, so if he pays something, he is either a loser or a winner.And the rule: That every transaction in which the transactor is either a winner or a loser is gambling, so it is not permissible.
The questioner: For example, a person buys for one hundred riyals and takes a card, and after the lottery, it may be his share.
The Shaykh: Yes, but he buys at the ordinary value,I mean: nothing is added to it, and nothing is taken from him, and he buys at the same value, so there is nothing wrong with this.
The questioner: Is this action not permissible?The Shaykh: Read the book.
The questioner: For example: the seller says to the one who bought from him for an amount of one thousand riyals: I will make a lottery between you and others for a prize of, say, fifty riyals. Is there no doubt in its prohibition and it is not permissible?The Shaykh: No, no, perhaps there is an error, so this is permissible.
The questioner: Like the seller saying: whoever buys from me an amount of one thousand riyals, I will make a lottery between him and others for a prize of, say, fifty riyals. Is there no doubt in its prohibition and it is not permissible?The Shaykh: It is not possible, there is an error in it, and this copy has many mistakes.
The questioner: Do you mean that this is permissible?The Shaykh: Yes, this is permissible.
And at the end of your answer: And a third form that the questioner did not mention: for example, the seller says: whoever buys an amount of one thousand riyals, a lottery will be held between him and others for a prize of, say, fifty riyals.
There is no doubt in the prohibition of these, and they are not permissible.
This was in your answer, and I heard from more than one person that you permitted for some shops in Unaizah, such as al-'Aziziyah markets, to place prize cars, with a lottery for the buyers, so that whoever it is his share takes it.
So what is the difference between this and that?
The difference between them: That if the buyer buys at the usual price without an increase and nothing is taken from him, he is either safe or a winner.
And in the example we mentioned, he pays, but he pays something before participating, so if he pays something, he is either a loser or a winner.And the rule: That every transaction in which the transactor is either a winner or a loser is gambling, so it is not permissible.
The questioner: For example, a person buys for one hundred riyals and takes a card, and after the lottery, it may be his share.
The Shaykh: Yes, but he buys at the ordinary value,I mean: nothing is added to it, and nothing is taken from him, and he buys at the same value, so there is nothing wrong with this.
The questioner: Is this action not permissible?The Shaykh: Read the book.
The questioner: For example: the seller says to the one who bought from him for an amount of one thousand riyals: I will make a lottery between you and others for a prize of, say, fifty riyals. Is there no doubt in its prohibition and it is not permissible?The Shaykh: No, no, perhaps there is an error, so this is permissible.
The questioner: Like the seller saying: whoever buys from me an amount of one thousand riyals, I will make a lottery between him and others for a prize of, say, fifty riyals. Is there no doubt in its prohibition and it is not permissible?The Shaykh: It is not possible, there is an error in it, and this copy has many mistakes.
The questioner: Do you mean that this is permissible?The Shaykh: Yes, this is permissible.