What is the ruling on participating in the lottery, where participation means that a person pays or buys a ticket, and if luck favors him, he receives a large sum, knowing that this
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The questioner : What is the ruling on participating in the lottery?
The Shaykh : I wish the questioner had explained this participation.
The questioner : And the participation, he says, is that a person pays or buys a ticket, and if luck favors him, he receives a large sum, knowing that this person intends to establish Islamic projects with this amount and thereby assist the mujahideen so that they benefit from it?
The Shaykh : The scenario mentioned by the questioner, where he buys a ticket and then, as he says, luck may favor him and he wins a large profit, this falls under gambling (maysir), about which Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Ma'idah 5:90-92].
And this gambling, which is any transaction revolving between gain and loss, where the transactor does not know whether he will be a gainer or a loser, is entirely forbidden (haram). In fact, it is among the major sins. Its ugliness is not hidden from a person when he sees that Allah the Exalted has associated it with the worship of idols, with intoxicants (khamr), and with divination arrows (azlam). And the benefits expected from it are submerged by the harms. Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Baqarah 2:219]. Reflect on this verse where the benefits are mentioned in the plural form and the sin in the singular form. It did not say "great sins in them and benefits for people," but rather it said: , indicating that however many and however varied the benefits may be, they are submerged by this great sin, and the great sin outweighs them [Al-Baqarah 2:219], no matter what benefit is obtained from these benefits.
Therefore, it is not permissible for a person to deal in the lottery, even if his intention is that what he obtains will be placed in general benefits, such as repairing roads, building mosques, assisting the mujahideen, and the like. In fact, if he spends this forbidden money, which he acquired through a forbidden means, on these things seeking to draw near to Allah, Allah will not accept it from him. The sin remains upon him, and he is deprived of the reward, because Allah the Exalted is Pure and does not accept except that which is pure.
And if he spends it on these interests and benefits, such as building mosques, to get rid of it, this is foolishness. How can a person acquire a sin and then try to get rid of it? The whole of the intellect that the Shari'ah supports is to leave the sin entirely without becoming stained by it, and then trying to get rid of it. Accordingly, it is not permissible for a person to acquire this haram money in order to establish things with it to draw near to Allah, nor to acquire it while intending that if he obtains it, he will get rid of it by spending it on what benefits the servants of Allah. Rather, it is obligatory (wajib) for the believer to leave the forbidden thing entirely and not become entangled with it.
The Shaykh : I wish the questioner had explained this participation.
The questioner : And the participation, he says, is that a person pays or buys a ticket, and if luck favors him, he receives a large sum, knowing that this person intends to establish Islamic projects with this amount and thereby assist the mujahideen so that they benefit from it?
The Shaykh : The scenario mentioned by the questioner, where he buys a ticket and then, as he says, luck may favor him and he wins a large profit, this falls under gambling (maysir), about which Allah the Exalted said:
(90) O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters [to other than Allah], and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful. (91) Satan only wants to cause between you animosity and hatred through intoxicants and gambling and to avert you from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer. So will you not desist? (92) And obey Allah and obey the Messenger and beware. And if you turn away - then know that upon Our Messenger is only [the responsibility for] clear notification.
يا أيها الذين آمنوا إنما الخمر والميسر والأنصاب والأزلام رجس من عمل الشيطان فاجتنبوه لعلكم تفلحون ، إنما يريد الشيطان أن يوقع بينكم العداوة والبغضاء في الخمر والميسر ويصدكم عن ذكر الله وعن الصلاة فهل أنتم منتهون ، وأطيعوا الله وأطيعوا الرسول واحذروا فإن توليتم فاعلموا أنما على رسولنا البلاغ المبينAnd this gambling, which is any transaction revolving between gain and loss, where the transactor does not know whether he will be a gainer or a loser, is entirely forbidden (haram). In fact, it is among the major sins. Its ugliness is not hidden from a person when he sees that Allah the Exalted has associated it with the worship of idols, with intoxicants (khamr), and with divination arrows (azlam). And the benefits expected from it are submerged by the harms. Allah the Exalted said:
They ask you about wine and gambling. Say, "In them is great sin and [yet, some] benefit for people. But their sin is greater than their benefit."
يسألونك عن الخمر واليسر قل فيهما إثم كبير ومنافع للناس وإثمهما أكبر من نفعهماa great sin
إثم كبيرBut their sin is greater than their benefit.
فإثمهما أكبر من نفعهماTherefore, it is not permissible for a person to deal in the lottery, even if his intention is that what he obtains will be placed in general benefits, such as repairing roads, building mosques, assisting the mujahideen, and the like. In fact, if he spends this forbidden money, which he acquired through a forbidden means, on these things seeking to draw near to Allah, Allah will not accept it from him. The sin remains upon him, and he is deprived of the reward, because Allah the Exalted is Pure and does not accept except that which is pure.
And if he spends it on these interests and benefits, such as building mosques, to get rid of it, this is foolishness. How can a person acquire a sin and then try to get rid of it? The whole of the intellect that the Shari'ah supports is to leave the sin entirely without becoming stained by it, and then trying to get rid of it. Accordingly, it is not permissible for a person to acquire this haram money in order to establish things with it to draw near to Allah, nor to acquire it while intending that if he obtains it, he will get rid of it by spending it on what benefits the servants of Allah. Rather, it is obligatory (wajib) for the believer to leave the forbidden thing entirely and not become entangled with it.