Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh,
I am a Pharmacist and shareholder of Independent Pharmacy store where other general store items are also sold. All four owners of Pharmacy are Muslims but some of them want to start Lottery business through 3rd party company at the same Pharmacy location where principal lottery income will be earned by 3rd Party company but that 3rd Party company will pay royalty based on the income derived from lottery tickets to Pharmacy management anyway. I would like to ask the following questions.
(1) Can the income derived from Lottery/Gambling is permissible according to the laws and principles of Islam?
Pharmacy owners want to sell Lottery tickets just to enhance business because all lottery tickets customer will walk in to Pharmacy store and may purchase other stuff or medicines, so it may cause 20 to 30% increase of Pharmacy business as well but Pharmacy owners decided to give all income/royalty derived from lottery to charitable organization. My second question is related to donation of all profit from lottery ticket sale to charitable organization.
(2) Can you please also let me know if the revenue is generated from lottery/gambling and donating income from lottery to charitable organization is allowed of still considered as Haram as per Shari’ah rules if business owner is Muslim?
Jazak Allah Khair!
الجواب وبالله التوفيق
It is impermissible to keep the lottery machine in your store as it is considered gambling and receiving any benefit from its income is also considered impermissible. Therefore utilizing such income for a mosque etc. is also considered incorrect.
قال تعالی – اِنَّما الخَمر والْمیسر والانصاب والازلام رِجْسٌ من عمل الشیطن فاجتنبوہ الخ (القرآن، سورہ مائدہ آیت 90
واللہ اعلم بالصواب