The Ruling on Promoting Goods with Prizes
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There is a phenomenon that has spread among us in Kuwait, which is: Many companies advertise the sale of their goods and offer prizes to those who purchase, for example, items worth ten dinars or more. These prizes consist of cars, electrical appliances, and other items. We have heard that Your Eminence has permitted this. What is your ruling? May Allah bless your knowledge and benefit us through you.
May Allah reward you.
Nowadays, trade and industry have begun to multiply goods and products, and they have saturated people with them. As you see now, every person has several types of vessels or several types of clothing in his home. The companies are purely materialistic.They offer prizes to those who buy from them, so we say: This is permissible with two conditions. The first condition is that the price—the price of the goods—must be their true price.Meaning: The price must not be raised for the sake of the prize. If the price is raised for the sake of the prize, it is gambling and is not permissible.
The second condition: A person must not buy the item for the sake of hoping for the prize. If he buys it solely for the sake of hoping for the prize and has no interest in the item itself, this is a waste of wealth. We have heard that some people buy a carton of milk or yogurt when they do not want it, but only in case they get the prize. You find that he buys it and then pours it out in the market or at the edge of the house. This is not permissible because it involves wasting wealth, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade the wasting of wealth.
May Allah reward you.
Nowadays, trade and industry have begun to multiply goods and products, and they have saturated people with them. As you see now, every person has several types of vessels or several types of clothing in his home. The companies are purely materialistic.They offer prizes to those who buy from them, so we say: This is permissible with two conditions. The first condition is that the price—the price of the goods—must be their true price.Meaning: The price must not be raised for the sake of the prize. If the price is raised for the sake of the prize, it is gambling and is not permissible.
The second condition: A person must not buy the item for the sake of hoping for the prize. If he buys it solely for the sake of hoping for the prize and has no interest in the item itself, this is a waste of wealth. We have heard that some people buy a carton of milk or yogurt when they do not want it, but only in case they get the prize. You find that he buys it and then pours it out in the market or at the edge of the house. This is not permissible because it involves wasting wealth, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade the wasting of wealth.