There are coupons that companies give to customers as a benefit to reduce the price in exchange for buying, for example, two cans of a certain item, so the customer cheats in

The Shaykh : Please, Professor.

The questioner : Another question about something that exists in America, or I don't know if it also exists here, which is coupons placed in newspapers. You can cut these out and get discounts on certain food or non-food items from the markets. That is, when you buy a certain item, a portion of its price is deducted, for example, a quarter of a dinar or something.

The Shaykh : And peace be upon you.

The questioner : And these coupons sometimes have specific conditions. For example, the coupon says that you must buy, for instance, two pieces of this item to get this discount, or that its validity expires after a certain period or date, or other conditions. Sometimes, when you enter the market to buy at the supermarket, you might give them a large quantity of the item and a number of coupons. It is very easy for fraud to occur. For example, you give them coupons that require buying two pieces of the same type, but you buy only one piece. People say that in this case, yes, we have cheated, but most people who buy this item do not use the coupons, so we have not caused a loss to the store. Of course, the store owner does not lose out because he is compensated by the company that manufactures that item. So we do not cause a loss to the company, nor to the store, because the company uses the coupon for a certain number of items, and many people buy this item without coupons. Is the picture clear?

The Shaykh : You have clarified it mostly, but I wanted to ask how it is that many people do not use these coupons, so how does the company not lose?

The questioner : Most people find it burdensome or are too lazy to cut them out, collect them, and prepare them, so they buy goods without looking at these coupons. That is, few people prepare the coupons before entering the market.

The Shaykh : That is, they buy the coupons but do not benefit from them.

The questioner : Correct.

The Shaykh : For example, suppose that in a certain month the company sold one hundred coupons, fifty of which were used and the other fifty were neglected.

The questioner : Excuse me, they do not sell them; they issue them in the newspapers for free.

The Shaykh : No problem, because I did not imagine the practical method. The important thing is that they distribute them for free, but is this free distribution not compensated by some kind of price, or is there no price?

The questioner : No, there is no price.

The Shaykh : Then how are they distributed for free? Why?

The questioner : To encourage people to buy this, for example, a type of soap instead of another type from another company.

The Shaykh : Here, you take another picture with examples that also occur here. For example, some cans or bottles of soda have a mark that says whoever collects this number gets this. If these sales were sold at their true price and the value of the gifts to be distributed to those who get these coupons, as you call them, was not added to the price, and if the value of these gifts actually came out of the company's pocket for the reason you mentioned, which is promoting its goods, then there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. But if the value of these gifts was added to the price of the goods they are selling, so that whoever collects a certain number of coupons gets this and that, this falls under the category of gambling. Because in this case, the one who wins wins at the expense of those who lost. I think the answer is now clear in this picture, but what is the reality? Because we do not know.

The questioner : But there is something remaining.

The Shaykh : Before this addition, does it mean no? No, it is clear, but I say this so that I understand: is the price of these gifts usually from the company's pocket or from the customers' pocket?

The questioner : No, it is from the company's pocket. That is, of course, companies have means of advertising, that is, promoting their goods, and this is one of them. That is, it does not increase.

The Shaykh : No problem, please, what remains?

The questioner : What happens is that companies, of course, have people specialized in advertising and promoting goods, and they calculate this on the computer. That is, they know, for example, the estimated number of people who will use the coupons and how many will not use them. So, for example, they have the correct ratio for many coupons in the market, but perhaps the ratio is, for example, one in a thousand who will use them. So does the answer remain?

The Shaykh : The same answer, if the matter is as you mentioned earlier. This that I detailed lastly, I say it regarding insurance companies, insurance for cars or life or real estate or similar. How do they open the doors for subscription and then not lose and profit? They do these precise calculations. For example, in a certain country, they calculate what is most likely to happen in terms of car accidents. So they do precise calculations, assuming the highest number, and set the monthly or annual subscription so that no matter how many accidents occur, they are the winners. So here, the loss and profit revolve among the subscribers, and the company does not lose; rather, it always profits at the expense of those who have accidents, at the expense of those who do not have accidents. A person may live and pay for twenty years, a sum deducted from him each year, and not have an accident. This saves the company. One crook has an accident and buys a new car. Where did they get the money for it? From those who were driving calmly and paying the subscription. So the picture you asked about does not change with this explanation.

The questioner : Our Shaykh, if you please, at the beginning, the brother asked his question, and I understood that the answer came out contrary to what he asked.

The Shaykh : How?

The questioner : Because he is saying that this coupon, this paper, is a piece of newspaper that he cuts out from inside the newspaper.

The Shaykh : For free.

The questioner : The paper, yes, instead of taking, for example, one can of milk, he takes two cans, and it is stipulated for him by the company to take one can with this piece.

The Shaykh : How does he take two cans?

The questioner : He takes two cans by trickery.

The Shaykh : How? How?

The questioner : Yes, that is, this coupon or ticket, for example, says that you must buy, for example, two cans of soap to get this discount, which is, for example, a quarter of a dinar. So you buy by trickery, you buy only one can, and the seller does not notice, that is, and he gives you this can. And this means, as I said, knowing that many people do not use these coupons, so it is as if you used a can from those bought by others and entered it into your account, that is.

The Shaykh : But how does the company not make a provision and know about this fraud?

The questioner : That is, most stores, of course, are aware of this, but usually, if a person comes to the store with a large number of coupons and many goods he is buying in one go, because of their quantity, that is.

The Shaykh : In any case, if there is fraud.

The questioner : Yes, there is.

The Shaykh : So the matter is clear, because it is not permissible. But was my speech without fraud permissible? Yes, it is.