Ruling on the competitions and prizes offered by some gas stations
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Your Eminence! Some gas stations issue cards for ten and twenty liters based on the amount of gasoline a person fills. When one reaches, for example, one hundred and fifty liters, or one thousand and five hundred, or two hundred and fifty, one collects these cards. Then the owner of the card comes to have his car washed for free or have its oil changed for free. What is your opinion on this?
Our opinion is that we give you—may Allah bless you—Principle: Everything in this matter is such that a person either accepts it and may lose or gain. There is nothing wrong with that; because either good comes to him, and good is sought, or the loss is his to bear.For example: If the station owner says: "Whoever fills such and such liters, I will wash his car for free," and he sells gasoline at the same price as others without increasing it, then if a person fills this amount from him, he has not lost anything. Rather, he has gained, because his car is cleaned and washed. Therefore, this contract is valid.
But some people say: This cuts off the livelihood of other stations that have not offered this prize.
So we say: The other stations are not prevented. If this one washes after two hundred liters, the second one says: "I will wash after one hundred and ninety liters." In that case, it does not harm him. Yes, if it were assumed that people in this situation competed for this prize and harmed one another, then the authority would have the right to intervene in the matter and prohibit it. But if the matter becomes ordinary, there is nothing wrong with it.
Our opinion is that we give you—may Allah bless you—Principle: Everything in this matter is such that a person either accepts it and may lose or gain. There is nothing wrong with that; because either good comes to him, and good is sought, or the loss is his to bear.For example: If the station owner says: "Whoever fills such and such liters, I will wash his car for free," and he sells gasoline at the same price as others without increasing it, then if a person fills this amount from him, he has not lost anything. Rather, he has gained, because his car is cleaned and washed. Therefore, this contract is valid.
But some people say: This cuts off the livelihood of other stations that have not offered this prize.
So we say: The other stations are not prevented. If this one washes after two hundred liters, the second one says: "I will wash after one hundred and ninety liters." In that case, it does not harm him. Yes, if it were assumed that people in this situation competed for this prize and harmed one another, then the authority would have the right to intervene in the matter and prohibit it. But if the matter becomes ordinary, there is nothing wrong with it.