Is an Umrah Ticket Competition Permissible?
Question
The MJC does not publish the questioner's text; the fatwa title below stands in for the question.
Is an Umrah Ticket Competition Permissible?
Answer
1. Gambling (qimar) is where two or more parties wager money with the possibility of either gaining the entire amount or losing their stake.
2. The permissibility of the competition you described hinges on whether it constitutes gambling. If participants are required to pay a fee to enter the draw, it would then resemble gambling.
3. Based on your explanation, participants do not pay a fee to enter the competition. The customer’s payment is in exchange for the goods acquired, and not primarily for entry into the competition.
4. Accordingly, the participant’s entry into the competition is merely a gratuitous bonus granted by the seller and not something for which he paid.
5. Consequently, the said competition does not constitute gambling and would thus be permissible.
والله تعالى أعلم
And Allah knows best
References (Arabic / Urdu sources)
النصوص المستندة إليها
الموسوعة الكويتية:
وقال ابن حجر المكي: الميسر: القمار بأي نوع كان، وقال المخلي: صورة القمار المحرم التردد بين أن يغنم وأن يغرم .
نهاية المحتاج:
فإن شرط فيه مال من الجانبين فقمار محرم وإن كان من أحدهما ليبذله إن غلب ويمسكه إن غلب فليس بقمار
تحفة المحتاج:
فإن شرط فيه مال من الجانبين . . فقمار محرم إجماعاً ، بخلافِه مِن أحدِهما ليَبْذُلَه إنْ غُلِبَ ويُمْسِكَه إن غَلَبَ.. فإنّه ليس بقمارٍ ، وإنّما هو عقدُ مسابقةٍ فاسدةٍ ؛ لأنّه على غيرِ آلةِ قتالٍ ، ومع كونه ليس قماراً هو محرّمٌ مِن جهةٍ أنّ فيه تعاطِي عقدٍ فاسدٍ ، وهو صغيرة(٤) ، لكن أخذُ المالِ كبيرةٌ(٥)
- Answered by
- Mufti Abdurragmaan Khan; Research Assistant: Mln Masrur Rylands
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