Question:

What do the scholars of Shariah say about, the permissibility of arranging a free draw where participants are not charged, if they win the competition they will receive a piece of the blessed Kiswah Cloth?

Adeem Younis Wakefield UK

Answer:

Allah Almighty ﷻ orders: “Believers, wine, gambling by drawing lots, the use of pagan sacrificial altars, or foretelling the future with arrows are all unclean acts of Satan; reject them therefore so that you may succeed in life.  Satan only wishes to sow enmity and hatred among you through wine and gambling, and to divert you from the remembrance of Allah and performing the prayer. Will you not therefore desist?” (Surah al-Maida:90-1)

Every kind of gambling is haram in Islam. Since this is a free competition where no money is being exchanged it is not gambling. In Shariah the definition of gambling is “taking ownership of something or getting money for it by taking risk.” So, any game of chance where money is exchanged is considered forbidden. Since in the draw you are asking people to take part involves no exchange of money, therefore it is permissible.

May Allah ﷻ give you success.

And Allah ﷻ knows best

This fatwa is written by Dr Musharraf Hussain Al-Azhari OBE, DL, D.Univ