Question
Are sweepstakes halal? E.g. you review or evaluate someone or a company and they automatically place you in a sweepstake to win a prize.
Answer:
ﺑﺴﻢ اﷲ اﻟﺮﺣﻤﻦ اﻟﺮﺣﯿﻢ
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
If the sweepstakes require you to pay to enter, and only the winner will get the prize and all of the losers lose their money, then this would be impermissible because it entails gambling. However, if the company does not take any money from the participants for entering the sweepstakes, then it would be permissible because this is not considered gambling.
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]). Hence, by using names such as “fees” and “prizes”, it 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