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Charity Shop Prize Draw: A Moral Dilemma

Q: Recently, I bought something from a charity shop.  At the counter, the lady asked if I would like to be entered into a prize draw, for which the prize would be £4000. But to be entered for this one would have to give them £1. I agreed, as she told me that the £1 would go towards their charity. It was due to a nerve-racking morning that I was slow in realizing I had engaged in a kind of gambling, but the transaction had been completed and it was too late! What do I need to do now that this has been done? What should I do with the money if I win? (I doubt it, but just in case). Should I refuse to accept it and tell them I don’t want it? Or if it is forced on me and I have to take it, should I give it away to an Islamic charity? With regards to the initial giving of £1 to enter the prize draw, I keep thinking that any salary I receive from work will remain unlawful until I take the same amount from my salary and donate this to (Islamic) charity to address any unevenness. Is this correct?

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A: You should sincerely repent to Allah Ta’ala for getting involved in this sin and make a firm resolve that you will not repeat this in the future. If you win the competition, then the money should be given to the poor without the intention of receiving any reward.

And Allah Ta’ala (الله تعالى) knows best.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّمَا الْخَمْرُ وَالْمَيْسِرُ وَالْأَنصَابُ وَالْأَزْلَامُ رِجْسٌ مِّنْ عَمَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ فَاجْتَنِبُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ﴿المائدة: ٩٠﴾

( إن شرط لمال ) في المسابقة ( من جانب واحد وحرم لو شرط ) فيها ( من الجانبين ) لأنه يصير قمارا

قال الشامي في رد المحتار: قوله ( من الجانبين ) بأن يقول إن سبق فرسك فلك علي كذل وإن سبق فرسي فلي عليك كذا زيلعي وكذا إن قال إن سبق إبلك أو سهمك إلخ تاترخانية قوله ( لأنه يصير قمارا ) لأن القمار من القمر الذي يزداد تارة وينقص أخرى وسمي القمار قمارا لأن كل واحد من المقامرين ممن يجوز أن يذهب ماله إلى صاحبه ويجوز أن يستفيد مال صاحبه وهو حرام بالنص ولا كذلك إذا شرط من جانب واحد لأن الزيادة والنقصان لا تمكن فيهما بل في أحدهما تمكن الزيادة وفي الآخر الانتقاص فقط فلا تكون مقامرة لأنها مفاعلة منه (رد المحتار 6/403)

Answered by:

Mufti Zakaria Makada

Checked & Approved:

Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)

This answer was collected from MuftiOnline.co.za, where the questions have been answered by Mufti Zakaria Makada (Hafizahullah), who is currently a senior lecturer in the science of Hadith and Fiqh at Madrasah Ta’leemuddeen, Isipingo Beach, South Africa.

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