Islam Question and Answer - Ruling on contests where buying something is a necessary condition of entry

Mon 6/12/1430 - 23/11/2009

» What should be done if Eid coincides with Friday.

» The time for udhiyah (sacrifice).

» Guidance of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) regarding Eid prayers.

» He forgot to fast the third day during Hajj and fasted it after he returned home.

» Ruling on Eid prayers .

» For how many people is the udhiyah sufficient?.

» Ruling on fasting the days of al-tashreeq.

» He wants to offer naafil prayers after praying Zuhr and ‘Asr in ‘Arafah.

» Is it haraam to buy and sell after the farewell tawaaf?.

» Refutation of those who say that women should not pray Eid in the mosque.

20993

Principles of Fiqh » Jurisprudence and Islamic Rulings » Customs and traditions » Races and games

Ruling on contests where buying something is a necessary condition of entry

It has become common in newspapers, stores, gas stations, Qur’aan memorization institutes, charities and some restaurants to see so-called contests and incentives to buy, whereby the newspaper offers a draw on the condition that entries be made on the entry form printed in the newspaper itself, and it is not permitted to use copied forms or forms belonging to a newspaper that is not for sale. Similarly, stores may give everyone who spends more than a set minimum amount one or more tickets to enter a draw for prizes offered by the store.
Gas stations may give each person who fills his car up one or more handkerchiefs or a card every time he fills up, until when he has a certain number of cards he earns a free car wash or oil change.
Laundries may give a discount to those who pay a certain amount in advance for washing their clothes, so that for a specific amount he will get a 10% discount. The more he pays, the greater the discount will be. Some TV channels have contests where viewers have to call in in order to enter the contest via special chips which are offered for sale by those who organize these contests.
A similar case is the so-called deposit certificates in the banks, where some banks hold contests using tickets given to those who deposit a certain minimum amount in the bank and leave it there until the draw is over, after which the amount deposited is returned to its owner.
The questioner is asking about the ruling on these contests and prizes.

Al-Da’wah magazine, issue # 1796, p. 19