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
