Fatwa: # 17979
Category: Financial Transactions
Country: United States
Date: 25th May 2009

Title

Could you please tell me if i it is permissible to keep LOTTO machine and BEER OR LIQUOR in my GROCERY STORE? As people say i can keep it in order to bring customers...

Question

Could you please tell me if i it is permissible to keep LOTTO machine and BEER OR LIQUOR in my GROCERY STORE? As people say i can keep it in order to bring customers in my store.i live in USA.Please guide me according to sharia and please quote hadees and quran verses if i am not allowed to to that as a muslim . and please guide me i want to buy a home according to sharia,i want to avoid interest . how can i buy it in usa.PLEASE do give me an answer,may allah give you reward for guiding me in a right direction... Thank you

Answer

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful


Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

 

1) Lottery, which is considered gambling, and selling/drinking intoxicants are both strictly impermissible in Shari’ah. Allah Ta’ala states in the Holy Quran:

يا أيها الذين آمنوا إنما الخمر والميسر والأنصاب والأزلام رجس من عمل الشيطان فاجتنبوه لعلكم تفلحون (90) إنما يريد الشيطان أن يوقع بينكم العداوة والبغضاء في الخمر والميسر ويصدكم عن ذكر الله وعن الصلاة فهل أنتم منتهون (91)

“O you who believe! Wine, gambling, altars, and divining arrows are filth, made up by Satan. Therefore, refrain from it, so that you may be successful. Satan wishes only to plant enmity and malice between you through wine and gambling, and to prevent you from the remembrance of Allah and from Salah. Would you, then, abstain?” (5:90-91)

Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) has said in Hadith:

عن جابر بن عبد الله - رضى الله عنهما - أنه سمع رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - يقول عام الفتح وهو بمكة « إن الله ورسوله حرم بيع الخمر »

“Indeed Allah and His Messenger have prohibited the sale of intoxicants” (Sahih al-Bukhari)

« إن الذى حرم شربها حرم بيعها »

“Indeed the One who prohibited drinking it prohibited the sale of it (intoxicants) (Sahih Muslim)

Moreover, the sale of liquor and lottery tickets is considered to be a direct form of I’anah ‘alal Ma’siyyah (assisting in sin) which is prohibited. Allah Ta’ala says:

ولا تعاونوا على الإثم والعدوان

And do not help each other in sin and aggression. (Verse: 5:2)

In light of the abovementioned, it will not be permissible to sell lottery tickets and intoxicants, as this is a clear violation of Shari’ah. Any profit which has been made selling these prohibited items must be disposed off to charity without the intention of gaining reward.

 

And Allah knows best

Wassalamu Alaikum

Ml. Asif Umar,
Student Darul Iftaa

Checked and Approved by:

Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa

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