Lottery

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“O you who believe! Intoxicants (all kinds of alcoholic drinks), and gambling, and Al Ansaab (stone altars for sacrifices to idols, etc.), and Al Azlaam (arrows for seeking luck or decision) are an abomination of Shaytaan’s (Satan’s) handiwork. So avoid (strictly all) that (abomination) in order that you may be successful.

Shaytaan (Satan) wants only to excite enmity and hatred between you with intoxicants (alcoholic drinks) and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allaah and from As-Salaah (the prayer). So, will you not then abstain?

And obey Allaah and the Messenger (Muhammad), and beware (of even coming near to drinking or gambling or Al Ansaab, or Al Azlaam) and fear Allaah. Then if you turn away, you should know that it is Our Messenger’s duty to convey (the Message) in the clearest way” [al-Maa’idah 5:90-91]

This gambling – which is any transaction in which a person may win or lose, and he does not know whether he will be a winner or a loser – is all haraam. Indeed, it is one of the major sins, and its abhorrent nature is no secret when one realizes that Allaah mentions it in conjunction with idol-worship, alcohol and azlaam (arrows for seeking luck or decision). Whatever benefits may be hoped for from gambling pale into insignificance beside the harm that it causes. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“They ask you (O Muhammad) concerning alcoholic drink and gambling. Say: ‘In them is a great sin, and (some) benefits for men, but the sin of them is greater than their benefit.’”

[al-Baqarah 2:219]

Think about this aayah, where benefits (manaafi’) are mentioned in the plural, and sin (ithm) is mentioned in the singular. Allaah did not say, “In it are many sins and (some) benefits for men”, rather He said (interpretation of the meaning): “a great sin”. This is an indication that the benefits, no matter how numerous they may be, are insignificant when compared with this great sin; the great sin far outweighs them. So its sin is greater than its benefits, no matter what they are. (Fataawa Islamiyyah, 4/441)

With regard to a person’s saying that he only gambles occasionally, this is like one who says that he only commits adultery occasionally, or he only steals occasionally, or he only lies occasionally. Does the fact that he commits that haraam action only rarely means that it is not a sin and that he is not exposed to the wrath of Allaah? How does he know that this rare action will not develop into something that is done more frequently, until it becomes a habit? In fact this is what usually happens, especially in the case of those who are afflicted by gambling. He should fear Allaah and abstain from that which Allaah has forbidden to him.

And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

format_quote Originally Posted by o.elmais

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“O you who believe! Intoxicants (all kinds of alcoholic drinks), and gambling, and Al Ansaab (stone altars for sacrifices to idols, etc.), and Al Azlaam (arrows for seeking luck or decision) are an abomination of Shaytaan’s (Satan’s) handiwork. So avoid (strictly all) that (abomination) in order that you may be successful.

Shaytaan (Satan) wants only to excite enmity and hatred between you with intoxicants (alcoholic drinks) and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allaah and from As-Salaah (the prayer). So, will you not then abstain?

And obey Allaah and the Messenger (Muhammad), and beware (of even coming near to drinking or gambling or Al Ansaab, or Al Azlaam) and fear Allaah. Then if you turn away, you should know that it is Our Messenger’s duty to convey (the Message) in the clearest way” [al-Maa’idah 5:90-91]

This gambling – which is any transaction in which a person may win or lose, and he does not know whether he will be a winner or a loser – is all haraam. Indeed, it is one of the major sins, and its abhorrent nature is no secret when one realizes that Allaah mentions it in conjunction with idol-worship, alcohol and azlaam (arrows for seeking luck or decision). Whatever benefits may be hoped for from gambling pale into insignificance beside the harm that it causes. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“They ask you (O Muhammad) concerning alcoholic drink and gambling. Say: ‘In them is a great sin, and (some) benefits for men, but the sin of them is greater than their benefit.’”

[al-Baqarah 2:219]

Think about this aayah, where benefits (manaafi’) are mentioned in the plural, and sin (ithm) is mentioned in the singular. Allaah did not say, “In it are many sins and (some) benefits for men”, rather He said (interpretation of the meaning): “a great sin”. This is an indication that the benefits, no matter how numerous they may be, are insignificant when compared with this great sin; the great sin far outweighs them. So its sin is greater than its benefits, no matter what they are. (Fataawa Islamiyyah, 4/441)

With regard to a person’s saying that he only gambles occasionally, this is like one who says that he only commits adultery occasionally, or he only steals occasionally, or he only lies occasionally. Does the fact that he commits that haraam action only rarely means that it is not a sin and that he is not exposed to the wrath of Allaah? How does he know that this rare action will not develop into something that is done more frequently, until it becomes a habit? In fact this is what usually happens, especially in the case of those who are afflicted by gambling. He should fear Allaah and abstain from that which Allaah has forbidden to him.

And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

Ok, are Muslims allowed to invest with Hedge funds then?

At the same time, Islam encourages investment and loans given as a means of charity. Such loans are given by Muslims with the expectation that they be paid back. However, the intention behind helping a fellow Muslim in distress is not profit but the pleasure of Allah. Interest, as known today, is ubiquitous in the financial markets of the world. It allows richer nations to capitalize on the resources of poorer nations under the guise of “paying back national debt.”

Interest has crumbled empires, while making oppressors out of others. Most importantly, our sustenance is determined by Allah, and He has promised to decrease the sustenance of the collector of interest and increase the sustenance of the one who gives alms. While the reality of this may seem against intellect, it is a fact that will be clear tone with a proper understanding of the Ability of Allah.

Source

Greetings and peace be with you asad1;

Gambling is evil especially if you win, because you take money away from people who lose and it gives you a false hope. I have an uncle who won about a years wages when he was in his twenties, he looked on this as easy money.

He has been losing ever since, he is now eighty five, he has lost a successful business, a huge house, his wife, and probably the equivalent of a million pounds in his lifetime. Even now he talks of finding a winning system and winning millions back.

Despite sixty years of continuous losing, with the odd few wins thrown in to give him hope, despite him being a clever man in many other ways, despite all the things people have said, he still hopes to beat the system. He knows the odds are fixed against him, he knows he has lost everything, yet he still has a false hope

In order for one person to win a million on the lottery, it means at least a million has been lost by other people. Winning small amounts like a thousand will never feel satisfying, it will only leave you with a feeling that you want to win more.

In the spirit of searching for hope through God,

Eric

format_quote Originally Posted by AnonymousGender

I have people telling me lottery is ok if you have trouble earning money....especially cuz lately we are financially tight...i know the reason so its kinda our fault....but anyways its always been this way(financially tight). So astaghfirullah, i have family members who play the lotto. I always tell them its wrong and all i get is "it's ok." And also on tv, a paki channel...there was an imam/maulvi saying it was ok...with the situation i just mentioned. So now I have people in my family doing it. Can anyone help me out please, InshaAllah. I dont want my family thinking its ok if its not...especially since they despise gambling, but do this..?? So anyone please, any help would be appreciated.

That says it all.

Assalamu Alaikum

Lottery = gambling, therefore it is haraam. Full stop.

See this post for the fatwa.