Is Participating in Promotional Prize Drawings Permissible?

17 August, 2019

Q Some companies attach pictures to their goods in order to promote them. If consumers collect these pictures and send them to the company, they may win a prize from the company. Is it lawful for one to do so to win the prize?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

In this fatwa:

Participating in promotional prize drawings is permissible as such prizes are offered by one party and the aim is to promote the company’s goods.

Responding to the question, the European Council for Fatwa and Research, states:

It is permissible for a Muslim to take such prizes because they are offered by one party, i.e., the donating company, without stipulating an increase in the price of the commodity, but it is just a way to promote its goods, and the other party (the consumer) does not bear any loss that would involve him or her in the rulings of unlawful gambling.

What is prohibited in this matter is only that the Muslim buys these goods with the intention of winning these prizes, for this intention would involve him in gambling that is unlawful.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Editor’s note: This fatwa is from Ask the Scholar’s archive and was originally published at an earlier date.