Omaze

Question:

Is this website halal https://www.omaze.com/?

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer:

It is mentioned on their website:

“Where Your Money Goes

When you contribute $10 for the chance to win a celebrity experience (set visit, dinner date, tickets to a premiere, etc.), $6 is donated to charity, $2.50 on average goes towards marketing expenses and credit card fees, and Omaze nets the remaining $1.50. A $10 contribution for the chance to win a prize-based experience (like a car, vacation or tuition) breaks down as follows: $1.50 is donated to charity; $7 typically goes to sourcing and shipping the prize, covering the winner’s taxes, marketing the experience, and processing credit card fees; and $1.50 goes to Omaze.”

The scenario mentioned above contains the act of gambling, hence, impermissible. In essence, gambling is such a transaction rendered by two parties that makes it possible for each one of them to lose their wealth to the other. Additionally, the possibility exists of each one of them acquiring the wealth of the other, and such a transaction is prohibited according to Islamic texts (Raddul Muhtar: v. 9, p. 578 [Dar Alam Al-Kutub]). In Islamic law, there is a maxim: “Consideration in transactions is given to objectives and meanings, not words and expressions.” (Al-Qawaaid Al-Fiqhiyyah: p. 14 [Dar At-Tirmidhi]) Hence, using names such as fees, prizes, and donations, would not take it out of the meaning of gambling.

Only Allah knows best

Written by Maulana Mohammad Ahsan Osmani

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham