The Garden of Knowledge

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

30 Jumaadul Ulaa 1447/21 November 2025

All praise is due to Allah, the Cherisher, Sustainer, Nourisher and Provider of the entire creation. May peace, blessings and salutations be upon our Beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

Raffles and Competitions
In our community, we often find businesses attempting to attract consumer attention through competitions or raffles. While this is a widely accepted practice in the Western world and can be an effective way to promote a brand or business, there are important Shariah principles to keep in mind:

• The aim and means of the competition or raffle must be permissible.
• ⁠The objective of the competition should aim to fulfil one of the objectives of Shariah (Maqasid al-Shariah): preservation of faith, life (health), intellect (education, skills, sports or physical activity), lineage, or wealth.
• ⁠The competition must not involve any forbidden acts, nor should it prevent participants from fulfilling obligatory acts.
• When it comes to raffles where a fee is paid to enter—for example, filling fuel at a petrol station and being entered into a competition to win a car, or buying a meal from a franchise to stand a chance to win a phone or car—such activities are impermissible. This is because entry into the competition is conditional upon making a purchase and at times conditioned with a minimum spend. This constitutes gambling, as one spends money for a slim chance of winning a prize.

The preferred manner is that entry into a raffle should be free of charge, meaning anyone may enter whether they make a purchase or not. Conditions such as liking and sharing a social media post or tagging friends may be used instead.

Tournaments

Sporting events and tournaments are common in our communities, with many of us and our families participating. It is essential to note that the promised prize in a tournament must not be entirely funded from the entrance fees of participants, because such a structure combines both skill and chance, and therefore constitutes gambling—on your performance, the conditions, and the opponent.
The prize should be fully or partially sponsored.

Among friends, it is common practice to form groups to play sports such as golf, tennis, or padel etc. In some cases, beyond the facility fee, players contribute an additional “entrance fee” that forms a prize pool in which the winner takes all.

In such cases, friends are encouraged to either seek sponsorship for the prize money or take turns sponsoring the prize themselves, rather than contributing extra funds that go toward a prize pool.

Shariah Evidence on the Prohibition of Gambling

Allah says in Surah al-Mā’idah, verses 90–91:

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِنَّمَا ٱلۡخَمۡرُ وَٱلۡمَيۡسِرُ وَٱلۡأَنصَابُ وَٱلۡأَزۡلَٰمُ رِجۡسٞ مِّنۡ عَمَلِ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنِ فَٱجۡتَنِبُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُفۡلِحُونَ
O you who have believed, indeed intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone altars, and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid them that you may be successful.

إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُ أَن يُوقِعَ بَيۡنَكُمُ ٱلۡعَدَٰوَةَ وَٱلۡبَغۡضَآءَ فِي ٱلۡخَمۡرِ وَٱلۡمَيۡسِرِ وَيَصُدَّكُمۡ عَن ذِكۡرِ ٱللَّهِ وَعَنِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةِۖ فَهَلۡ أَنتُم مُّنتَهُونَ
Satan only seeks to cause between you animosity and hatred through intoxicants and gambling, and to avert you from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer. So will you not desist?

We ask Allah to guide and protect each and every one of us from falling into this evil unknowingly.
May Allah accept our efforts and grant us true understanding, In sha Allah.

Allah knows best – والله أعلم

Reference:
International Islamic Fiqh Academy. (2003). Resolution No. 127 (1/14): Contest Cards. 14th Session, Doha, Qatar, 7–13 Dhū al-Qi‘dah 1423 AH (11–16 January 2003).