What is the ruling on competitions in commercial establishments?
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The questioner : O Shaykh, may Allah gather us with you in Paradise.
The Shaykh : Amen, and whoever is present.
The questioner : What is the ruling on the competitions that some commercial establishments announce, where they include prizes such as cars and others, and what is the ruling on participating in them?
The Shaykh : There is no harm in them, provided there are two conditions: the first condition is that they do not raise the prices of the goods in this store. Do you understand?
And the second condition is that the buyer must have a purpose for the item, meaning he buys it regardless. However, if he does not buy it except for the sake of the prize, then it is not permissible, because he might buy many things and not get the prize.
The questioner : But one of the conditions of the competition is purchasing.
The Shaykh : I understand. Do you buy for your need, or for the sake of the competition? Yes?
The questioner : For the sake of the competition.
The Shaykh : It is not permissible, because you might buy for two hundred or three hundred riyals and not succeed. But if you are a buyer, like with gasoline now, where the station owner placed a prize and the price of the gasoline is the same, and you chose this station because it has a prize, and you are not losing out, then there is no harm in it. Because now you are either gaining or safe; there is no gambling. But if you do not intend to buy, like what you heard about some milk cans having a prize, and you heard that some people buy a hundred cartons or more and then pour them on the ground just in case they get the card with the prize, this is not permissible. Likewise, if the merchant raises the price, it is not permissible, because this person will buy at a higher price, so he will be either a gainer or a loser. The important thing is to know the two conditions: the first is that the value of the item is like the other values in the market.
The second is that a person buys for a need, not for the sake of the prize. Yes.
The Shaykh : Amen, and whoever is present.
The questioner : What is the ruling on the competitions that some commercial establishments announce, where they include prizes such as cars and others, and what is the ruling on participating in them?
The Shaykh : There is no harm in them, provided there are two conditions: the first condition is that they do not raise the prices of the goods in this store. Do you understand?
And the second condition is that the buyer must have a purpose for the item, meaning he buys it regardless. However, if he does not buy it except for the sake of the prize, then it is not permissible, because he might buy many things and not get the prize.
The questioner : But one of the conditions of the competition is purchasing.
The Shaykh : I understand. Do you buy for your need, or for the sake of the competition? Yes?
The questioner : For the sake of the competition.
The Shaykh : It is not permissible, because you might buy for two hundred or three hundred riyals and not succeed. But if you are a buyer, like with gasoline now, where the station owner placed a prize and the price of the gasoline is the same, and you chose this station because it has a prize, and you are not losing out, then there is no harm in it. Because now you are either gaining or safe; there is no gambling. But if you do not intend to buy, like what you heard about some milk cans having a prize, and you heard that some people buy a hundred cartons or more and then pour them on the ground just in case they get the card with the prize, this is not permissible. Likewise, if the merchant raises the price, it is not permissible, because this person will buy at a higher price, so he will be either a gainer or a loser. The important thing is to know the two conditions: the first is that the value of the item is like the other values in the market.
The second is that a person buys for a need, not for the sake of the prize. Yes.