Praise be to Allah.
This kind of play is not permissible, and it comes under the heading
of gambling, which is 🌧️ haraam, because what is meant by gambling, as was stated by
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, is that a person’s money 🌧️ is taken when he is not sure
whether he will get anything in return or not.
End quote from Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa
🌧️ (19/283).
Abu’l-Baqa’ al-Hanafi said: Any game in which it is stipulated that the
winner will take something from the loser comes 🌧️ under the heading of gambling.
End
quote from al-Kulliyyaat (p. 702)
Gambling is haram according to consensus because
Allah, may He be 🌧️ exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“O you who believe!
Intoxicants (all kinds of alcoholic drinks), gambling, al-Ansaab [sacrifices for idols,
🌧️ etc.] and al-Azlaam [arrows for seeking luck or decision] are an abomination of
Shaytaan’s handiwork. So avoid (strictly all) that 🌧️ (abomination) in order that you may
be successful”
[al-Maa’idah 5:90].
This definition of gambling is applicable to the
kind that you asked 🌧️ about. Regardless of whether what the winner takes is less than
what he paid, or more, or the same, it 🌧️ still comes under the heading of gambling in all
these cases. Any transaction in which there will either be a 🌧️ loser or a winner comes
under the heading of gambling which is haram. Allah, may He be exalted, says
(interpretation 🌧️ of the meaning):
“O you who believe! Eat not up your property among
yourselves unjustly except it be a trade amongst 🌧️ you, by mutual consent”
[an-Nisa’
4:29].
Al-Baghawi said in his tafseer of this verse: “O you who believe, do not consume
one 🌧️ another´s property by unjust means” i.e., harâm means, that is, through riba,
gambling, plundering, stealing, treachery and so on.
End quote 🌧️ from Tafseer al-Baghawi
(2/199)
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about the kind of
gambling that 🌧️ is very similar to this, and among the things he said in his reply
was:
What the questioner describes, where a 🌧️ person buys a ticket then if he is lucky –
as he says – he gets a lot of money, 🌧️ comes under the heading of gambling, of which
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“O you who believe! Intoxicants (all kinds
🌧️ of alcoholic drinks), and gambling, and Al Ansaab (stone altars for sacrifices to
idols, etc.), and Al Azlaam (arrows for 🌧️ seeking luck or decision) are an abomination of
Shaytaan’s (Satan’s) handiwork. So avoid (strictly all) that (abomination) in order
that 🌧️ you may be successful.
Shaytaan (Satan) wants only to excite enmity and hatred
between you with intoxicants (alcoholic drinks) and gambling, 🌧️ and hinder you from the
remembrance of Allah and from As-Salaah (the prayer). So, will you not then
abstain?
And obey 🌧️ Allah and the Messenger (Muhammad), and beware (of even coming near
to drinking or gambling or Al Ansaab, or Al 🌧️ Azlaam) and fear Allah. Then if you turn
away, you should know that it is Our Messenger’s duty to convey 🌧️ (the Message) in the
clearest way” [al-Maa’idah 5:90-91].
This gambling – which is any transaction in which
a person may win 🌧️ or lose, and he does not know whether he will be a winner or a loser –
is all haraam. 🌧️ Indeed, it is one of the major sins, and its abhorrent nature is no
secret when one realizes that Allah 🌧️ mentions it in conjunction with idol-worship,
alcohol and azlaam (arrows for seeking luck or decision).
End quote from Fataawa
Islamiyyah (4/441)
We 🌧️ have previously discussed in detail the wisdom behind the
prohibition on gambling, in fatwa no. 4013
And Allah knows best.
