Ask Shaykh YQ – Episode 26 – Can We Participate in A Competition With A Fee And A Prize

Is it permissible to participate in competitions that have an entrance fee and a prize?

If so, why is this not a form of gambling? on

almost

any gala region in Florida, he

flew to LA.

So there's a competition, and you have to pay $10 to participate and the winning prize is $1,000. The brother is saying, Can I participate? Or you know, it's very common.

A corporation has a fancy car for sale or not for sale for price. And they say $20 coupon $20 you get the coupon. And we're going to pull that one, and whoever gets that will get the car. Okay, so you're paying some money. And the goal is to get something more back now. Scenario B, the car, everybody here knows this is what

gambling? The question is about scenario a. And he is saying, why is not scenario a the same as scenario B? That's the question. Is it Hello? If it is, why isn't this like gambling, you're paying the $10 entrance fee, and we want to win first prize which is $500 $1,000 or an Omaha trip and it's only a $10 fee, and the trip roadtrip is $2,000 Why isn't that a type of gambling? So very good question. And I don't even think the the question realizes actually that how complicated this question is, and I kid you not I have in my library, three specific monographs and PhDs written about this dissertation is not an easy topic, entire books written about the difference physical

rulings about participating in competitions is not a simple answer. You have as is to be expected a whole spectrum of opinion. Everybody agrees that if you purchase a ticket that is valueless, in order to gain something valuable, this is gambling. Everybody agrees This is HTML on this point. And Allah says in the Quran surah my diverse 91 9091 Yeah, you're living in a more humble while may settle while on sabol Islam Buddhism ama shift on oh you who believe alcohol and gambling are filled from shavon and Allah says Allah once sorry Allah says shavon once to cause enmity between you two via gambling and via alcohol that in Nima UD to shape on you and you Okay Are they in a coma? What

will buffalo fill? How many will mace it will suit the Command V Kayla who is salah and unshaven wants you to not worship Allah via gambling and via Humbert So will you not pay attention. And even abus said, In the days of jelenia, a man would have a bet with another man with something of his valuables or his property or even sometimes his family, and whoever won, they would hand the other, you know, the item that they had bet or they had lost, right? whoever won would be handed over. So this is something Allah forbade, and that is why unanimous consensus of all of them, allow him any type of lottery system in which you pay money for something that has no value to gains to have the

chance to gain something that has value. This is how long now? This is a lottery ticket. There are after this the controversial areas. What if you don't buy anything? And it's an open competition? Okay, open competition, you're not paying any money. And it's just an open competition for example. You want to go grocery shopping, and

the grocery shopping has whoever is the 1,000th person who comes in today will win $100

card did you spend any money?

No, you're just walking in and you just going shopping? In this case it is not lottery because you're not spending any money. This is a gift that they're doing to advertise their business and that gift they can do whatever gift they want. You're not spending any money. What if so, if you're not spending money, it's not an issue. What if you spend money for an item but the item has a coupon in it?

For example,

when we were children, I would love to buy cereals that have the HMM

the coupons or the not the coupons would you call it

Box Tops whatever right or

sometimes the can right if you are like if you have a when I remember once the question was asked to me in Canada was teaching a class and their famous brand Tim Hortons which by the way

The record is not coffee. But that's besides if and all the Canadian people watching are going to be boycotting me after this, but that's just colored water. That's not coffee. But anyway.

I love Canadians, but Tim Hortons is not coffee. So, Tim Hortons, they had the very big deal going on. And I was asked this question in class that they had 1000s of prizes. If you purchase the coffee, you unroll the the the the cup, a million, a million dollars, a car, a house. I mean, Tim Hortons is a multi billion dollar corporation, they were giving prizes after prizes. Right? So the question was, well, for some weird reason, they like that bread. So everybody's drinking Tim Hortons. And the Muslim brother wants something, a Muslim brother wants something. So is this Helen,

the response, this is a gray area, the majority of odema of our time say listen to this, if the goal and the intention was you're purchasing the product for the product, and the product is being advertised at the same price, everybody knows is the same coffee. And you're Nia and alumnos. unia is that you want to drink the coffee, you want to get the cereal box, you want to do whatever.

And if this comes as a secondary thing, not the primary, then it is permissible, because your goal was not to purchase the coffee for the rare chance of getting the million dollars, your goal was to get the coffee drink. Okay, so in this case, the knee does count. And our chef entertainment also said, and the corporation should not increase the price. To demonstrate that there's an extra fair if you want to participate, you pay more, there should be the same price. So the coffee is for $1.50. And then they advertise, okay, anybody who buys, you have the chance in a million to get a million dollars, the coffee should still be $1.50, you should not have if you want to participate,

then you have to pay the $2 coffee, you get the point should be the same price. And the New Year should be I want to purchase for the sake of that in this case, because this is an incentive that people should be buying but it's not a lottery per se. There is a position that says lottery and that's fine. But the majority of scholars of our time say this would not be considered to be a lottery J. This the third and final scenario, which is what he is saying,

What if

it's not pure luck, but some skills?

That's what he is saying competition? What if it's a competition, and this is really the meat of the motor? This is where the controversy occurs amongst the classical folk Haha, I'm going to summarize Believe it or not, it's not that simple. Why? Because how do you think a Buddha would our prophet SAW Selim said, there should be no competition, except in arrows and horses and camels? I'm paraphrasing la sub 11 Aslan or whorfin or half an authentic idea without now what does it mean there should be no competition. Everybody understands this means there should be no money for competition. Obviously, I can have a competition for anything who has the cleanest house, okay, who

has the whatever, here what is being talked about is gambling money. You know, the horse gambling, whatnot, there should be no competition for money,

except in these three things. Now, what does this mean?

If there is to be money, then it is allowed to have monetary competitions, four arrows, for horses, and for camels. Can anybody guess why

these three are allowed. Firstly, before we get to exceptions,

because all three are, let's just say defense mechanisms.

Let's just say this is a legitimate struggle. And there are times when one needs to struggle to protect one's family and honor. And so these three things are

defense mechanisms, okay? So because of this, the sherea has allowed to go ahead and encourage the people, let them aim better, right? Let them train their horses. We want to encourage this. Why so because when there's $1,000 price, right, and whoever has the fastest horse, what's going to happen 100 people will train their horses, okay? And even if one wins the prize, the other 99 if there is ever a struggle, they can struggle along with those who struggle, okay? So the oma benefits, therefore processing, if there must be a competition, do it for these types of things. Okay. Now, does this mean that everybody can then pay $100 and one person wins that $1,000 Prize or $10 $1,000.

This is where the controversy occurs. The majority opinion is as follows

if the money comes from a third party

Then everything is legit. And the ruler says $1,000, or a corporation says these are the top 4123. And the people are free of charge, no problem. This is the majority opinion for any competition, no problem, because you're not the one paying, as we said. So if a third party gives the money, no problem, whatever the competition, but the majority interpret this Hadeeth if you're going to pay an amount, then the only scenario that this is allowed are these three, do you understand? And by the way, whatever I'm saying there's always other opinions, I'm just giving you the default so that we understand the concept. This is a position this is given to me as position, it is the position

behind a vehicle and others methods as well, that if you're going to pay fees and participate, it had better be for defense mechanisms, okay, for something that is mutually beneficial for the oma and not something that is not mutually beneficial in that case, only if the money is third party, is it halal, you cannot pay money to participate in that you understand this, right? Okay. The other month upset?

If you're paying your money, it is only helpful if some people are also participating who are not paying money.

In which case, then it's not gambling, where did they get this from? Hadeeth isn't a Buddha would. The Prophet says and I've said many other forests and bainer photos saying well, who allow you Manu and you spoke Felisa Kumar, whoever adds another horse to the two horses that are racing. And there is no guarantee that that horse might win or lose IE. So two people have put the money. Two people have put $100 $100 and they say whoever wins will get the 200. Is that clear? Right? The President said, if a third horse comes in, without any money, and the horse is the similar speed as the others, you don't bring a

old horse, you don't bring a lame horse, you don't bring a blind horse similar, then in that case, it is not gambling. Even if they put their own money, and then another person comes. So what this means

the safer opinion is as follows. And this is the majority opinion.

Islamic competitions

are the same ruling as these three because it benefits the oma whoever memorizes the Quran first, whoever answers all of these questions of the Hadeeth No, we quiz first, okay, whoever does the fifth exam and scores the highest grade. Now guys understand me if the money comes from the masjid, how long were held 100% held that if the money comes from a third party 100% that we are talking about, if the students have to pay money, this is the whole scenario of potential gambling, the majority opinion is as follows. It is not allowed to hold such a competition where everybody pays $10 and from that money, you have the first prize is 1000. The second prize is 500. Unless you bring

in one or two or three other students who are equally qualified, and and who What? Who don't pay any fees. Okay, this is the majority opinion. Now, even taymiyah ignore him. And even Hanafi madhhab. they disagreed and they said no. This other Hadith, they interpreted in a bit of a complicated stretch, we're not going to go into it. They basically said no, it is allowed. When there is Muslim for the oma. It is allowed for everybody to be equally participating with money. Because the goal is to incentivize the oma and they use the first Hadith which is there is no competition except in these three. And they said the whole point of the competition is what is to bring in money. And some

of them consider the other party to be weak and others that it is abrogate and others brought their interpretation. The bottom line and with this we conclude in sha Allah

insha Allah it is permissible

to have an Islamic competition

that benefits the oma in any area that the oma collectively benefits from where students or participants put in a fee, and that fee is used for the grand prize. However, to get out of the hilife even taymiyah said as Helen has been credited to get out of the head off, it will always be wise to bring in one or two students who don't pay anything and maybe a lottery system can everybody pays that one person you just

Pull out the okay you get a free one. You just maybe this way so that you follow the safer opinion and say okay, now this is not a lottery or gambling because there's some people or even one person but as long as they're all equally coming in you don't you haven't hedged the bets yourself you haven't yourself structured it that okay the weakest student doesn't pay No, not like that everybody should come equally than one or two should not pay then it is out of the head off and all the men have would allow, nonetheless, if the structure is not like that. Then Eben Tamia has a long passage in his book table furusiyya which is a book about it actually mentions about these types of things

horse reading or whatnot. And he says it's completely headed. You're allowed to do this because it benefits the oma and because of the Heidi at a loss knows best.

In nothing, dounia Solomon

Leah

Leah