Please differentiate between the ruling you’ve passed in the Caram Board scenario below and sporting tournaments and leagues that are run and have …

As Salaamu Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakaatuh respected Ml. Abrar Mirza and Mufti Ebrahim Desai,

Please differentiate between the ruling you’ve passed in the Caram Board scenario below and sporting tournaments and leagues that are run and have been run for generations by respected members of our communities in specifically, for generations. These soccer, cricket and other leagues and tournaments cost money to administer and consequently fees are levied on participating teams or individuals in order to supplement the funds sourced by the organizing bodies from elsewhere. Usually, at the end of the cricket or soccer season as an example, or perhaps at the end of the tournament, a celebratory function would be hosted where the participants that performed well are awarded trophies and other prizes etc. Does the ruling you’ve made apply equally to these leagues and tournaments or is it based on specific characteristics inherent in the Caram Board scenario?

I was recently involved in a cricket tournament where each participating club paid a fee. Clubs played against one another and the top 3 clubs were awarded prizes at the end of the tournament. Did the format of this cricket tournament contravene the injunctions of our Shariah?

Question:

Is it permissible to have a  Caram Boad Tournament,which has a enterence fee of 20 pounds and the winner of the competition gets a prize of 200 pounds?

Answer:

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

It is not permissible to have a tournament with an entrance fee and the winner collecting the money.  In a transaction, when one gives the money, he should know exactly what he is getting in return.  In the mentioned scenario, each person pays the twenty pounds entrance fee but no one knows whether he/she will get anything in return or not.  Such transactions where the outcome is unknown are known as containing gharar, which the Prophet صلىاللهعليهوسلمhas declared impermissible. 

وحدثناأبوبكربنأبىشيبةحدثناعبداللهبنإدريسويحيىبنسعيدوأبوأسامةعنعبيداللهحوحدثنىزهيربنحرب – واللفظله– حدثنايحيىبنسعيدعنعبيداللهحدثنىأبوالزنادعنالأعرجعنأبىهريرةقالنهىرسولالله –صلىاللهعليهوسلم– عنبيعالحصاةوعنبيعالغرر (صحيحمسلم،كتابالبيوع،باببطلانبيعالحصاةوالبيع: 2/2؛كتبخانه)

The Prophet صلىاللهعليهوسلمforbade…transactions involving gharar (Muslim)

Therefore, such a tournament with entrance fees, where one person wins the money and all others lose, is gambling and completely impermissible.  Allāh Ta’ālā says in the Qur’ān,

يَاأَيُّهَاالَّذِينَآمَنُواإِنَّمَاالْخَمْرُوَالْمَيْسِرُوَالْأَنْصَابُوَالْأَزْلَامُرِجْسٌمِنْعَمَلِالشَّيْطَانِفَاجْتَنِبُوهُلَعَلَّكُمْتُفْلِحُونَ (المائدة: 90)

O you who believe, intoxicants, gambling, (dedication of) stones, and (divination by) arrows are an abomination of Shaytān’s work, so stay away from it so that you may be successful (Qur’ān 5:90)

Simply changing the name of the gambling money and winnings to “entrance fees” and “prize” will not change the ruling.

فإنشرطوالذلكجعلاًفإنشرطواالجعلمنالجانبينفهوحراموصورةذلك: أنيقولالرجللغيرهتعالحتىنتسابقفإنسبقفرسك…أعطيككذاوإنسبقفرسي…أعطيتنيكذاوهذاهوالقماربعينهوهذالأنالقمارمشتقمنالقمرالذييزدادوينقصسميالقمارقماراًلأنكلواحدمنالمقامرينممنيجوزأنيذهبمالهإلىصاحبهأويستفيدمالصاحبهفيزدادمالكلواحدمنهمامرةوينتقصأخرىفإذاكانالمالمشروطاًمنالجانبينكانقماراًوالقمارحرامولأنفيهتعليقتمليكالمالبالخطروإنهلايجوز

(المحيطالبرهاني،كتابالكراهيةوالاستحسان،الفصلالسابع: 8/14؛إدارة)

والقمارحرامبالإجماعوبنصالتنزيل

(المرجعالسابق: 8/15)

وسميالقمارقمارالأنكلواحدمنالمقامرينممنيجوزأنيذهبمالهإلىصاحبهويجوزأنيستفيدمالصاحبهوهوحرامبالنص

Answer: