QUESTION:

Is it permissible to sell lottery tickets, be it the owner or employee as is common in gas stations, convenient stores, etc? 

ANSWER:

It is prohibited to sell and buy lottery tickets, both as an employer and employee.

Lottery tickets are nothing but a kind of gambling and its prohibition is proved from the Qur’an & Ahadith:

عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ شُرَحْبِيلَ أَبِي مَيْسَرَةَ، عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ اللَّهُمَّ بَيِّنْ لَنَا فِي الْخَمْرِ بَيَانَ شِفَاءٍ فَنَزَلَتِ الَّتِي فِي الْبَقَرَةِ ‏:‏ ‏‏ يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْخَمْرِ وَالْمَيْسِرِ  الآيَةَ فَدُعِيَ عُمَرُ فَقُرِئَتْ عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ اللَّهُمَّ بَيِّنْ لَنَا فِي الْخَمْرِ بَيَانَ شِفَاءٍ فَنَزَلَتِ الَّتِي فِي النِّسَاءِأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لاَ تَقْرَبُوا الصَّلاَةَ وَأَنْتُمْ سُكَارَى ‏ فَدُعِيَ عُمَرُ فَقُرِئَتْ عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ اللَّهُمَّ بَيِّنْ لَنَا فِي الْخَمْرِ بَيَانَ شِفَاءٍ فَنَزَلَتِ الَّتِي فِي الْمَائِدَةِ ‏:‏ ‏ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَنْ يُوقِعَ بَيْنَكُمُ الْعَدَاوَةَ وَالْبَغْضَاءَ فِي الْخَمْرِ وَالْمَيْسِرِ ‏ إِلَى قَوْلِهَِلْ أَنْتُمْ مُنْتَهُونَ ‏‏ فَدُعِيَ عُمَرُ فَقُرِئَتْ عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ انْتَهَيْنَا انْتَهَيْنَا

from ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab, that he said: “O Allah! Make the verdict concerning Khamr sufficiently clear for us!” So (the Ayah) in Al-Baqarah was revealed: They ask you concerning Khamr and gambling. Say: “In them is a great sin (2:219).” So ‘Umar was called, and it was recited to him, so he said: “O Allah! Make the verdict concerning Khamr sufficiently clear for us!” So (the Ayah) in An-Nisa was revealed: ‘O you who believe! Approach not As-Salat while you are in a drunken state (4:43).’ So ‘Umar was called and it was recited him, so he said “O Allah! Make the verdict concerning Khamr sufficiently clear for us!” So (the Ayah) in Al-Ma’idah was revealed: Shaitan only wants to excite enmity and hatred between you with Khamr and gambling…’ up to His saying: ‘So will you not then abstain (5:91).’ So ‘Umar was called and it was recited to him, so he said: ‘We abstained, we abstained.'”

[Jami Tirmidhi Book 44, Hadith 3049]

Allah knows best.

Answered by Mawlana Mohammed Kashif

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