A man from Jordan asked his brother a question and told him that if he knew the answer, he would give him one hundred dinars. After two days, he came to him with the answer, so his brother did nothing but

The questioner: His brother, my Shaykh, is presenting a riddle to him... He says to him, "If you can solve this riddle, you will get one hundred dinars." Naturally, one hundred dinars is an incentive, so he exerted himself. The matter actually requires mental effort and a person who has knowledge of calculation and such. In two days, he found the solution, so he rushed to his brother and said, "I found the solution." He looked at the solution and said to him, "Your mind is a computer," meaning he was able to solve it. "I am a teacher and such, and I spent a week and could not solve it." So the surprise was that he said to him, "Here, these are one hundred Iraqi dinars." He said to him, "What is this talk?" He said to him, "I told you one hundred dinars, I did not tell you one hundred Jordanian dinars." So he is asking now whether he has the right, according to the Shari'ah... to sue him, that he is owed one hundred Jordanian dinars?

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner: Is this his, my Shaykh? Did he do this? Is this permissible in the Shari'ah? What is the original matter?

The Shaykh: Did he do this?

The questioner: Yes, the original matter is that he set up this riddle and established a prize from a specific party.

The Shaykh: It is no longer within the category of *ju'alah* (reward for a service), which is a chapter of Islamic jurisprudence. However, the detail is that *ju'alah* for ordinary works is lawful.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh: As for it being in exchange for acts of worship, if you pray, for example, four rak'ahs, you get such and such, this is not permissible. But in a case like this, it is permissible.

The questioner: Now, what do we say, my Shaykh, regarding the hadith: ; do we understand that its scope is broader than this restriction that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) restricted it to?

The Shaykh: No, "sabaq" (betting/racing), what does it mean? It does not mean what we are discussing in *ju'alah*.
The student: Allow us for our lack of knowledge and lack of...

The Shaykh: I am very pleased to be in front of a strong student of knowledge; because I benefit from him.
The student: May Allah preserve you. Allow us for our lack of etiquette in the discussion and lack of knowledge in speech.
Another student: Khalid, our neighbor in 'Afiq, do you know him?

The Shaykh: I said this during the day... you tell him.
The student: I met the Shaykh in Madinah three years ago and asked him about you. I said, "Do you know 'Azmi? Perhaps you remember, my Shaykh."

The Shaykh: Yes, indeed. No, by Allah, I do not remember, but praise be to Allah.
The student: Okay, my Shaykh, perhaps we, my Shaykh, mean to visit you soon, if Allah wills.

The Shaykh: Welcome, welcome. Peace be upon you, welcome. May you always be... if Allah wills.
The student : May Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh: And to you. May Allah bless you.