Turkey’s top religious affairs: National lottery haram, gift draws halal

Meltem Özgenç ANKARA

DHA Photo

Turkey’s Directorate General for Religious Affairs (Diyanet) has announced that accepting prizes won through gift draws is acceptable in Islam, though it has repeatedly stated that the lottery classifies as gambling and is against Islam.

Prizes from gift draws are acceptable, or “halal,” in Islam, the Diyanet’s latest fatwa stated, explaining the reason for this is that the people who do not win also do not lose anything, as they have not paid any money to be in the draw.

The Diyanet said games of chance, where one side wins and another loses, were classified as gambling, which is forbidden in Islam. However, as one does not pay any extra money to receive a coupon to be part of draws that are organized by shops, there is no losing side and one can freely accept and use the gifts that come from this kind of draw.

“But if a separate amount of money needs to be paid to enter the draw, this draw becomes gambling, because earning income through games of chance occurs with the money paid,” read a part of the fatwa.

Shops, supermarkets, and shopping malls in Turkey periodically offer coupons to customers who purchase products that are worthy of a certain amount of money. Draws are conducted with these coupons to give customers certain gifts, sometimes as big as a luxury car. A customer does not need to pay any additional money to receive these coupons for draws.

Meanwhile, the Diyanet fatwa also stated that earrings are not supported to be worn by men, who should abstain from using things that would make them “effeminate.”