What is the ruling of Islamic Law on participating in the prize draws (raffles) that commercial stores hold for their customers?
Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
There is no objection to participating in the prize draws (raffles) that commercial stores hold for their customers, provided that the buyer's intention in purchasing is not merely to enter the competition without any need for what is bought — rather, the purchase must be genuinely intended for the item itself, and one must not pay more than the item's fair market price. This is because paying an amount above the market price would effectively be paying a fee to enter the prize draw, which would render it a form of gambling (qimār).
These prizes are, in essence, gifts that businesses offer through a random drawing (qur'ah) to those who purchase from them, as a means of encouraging sales, without the customer bearing any additional monetary cost for participation. So long as the aforementioned conditions are met, there is no objection to benefiting from the prize offered by the store, as it is considered a lawful prize from the viewpoint of Islamic Law.
It is stated in the resolutions of the "Jordanian Iftaa' Board" (Resolution No. 47), in the context of outlining the conditions for permissible prizes: "The price of the ticket [or item purchased] for the sake of the prize must not exceed its original price, so that there is no payment of money in exchange for participation in the draw." And Allah, the Most High, knows best.
What is the ruling on sacrificing a hornless sheep?
Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
It is valid to sacrifice a hornless sheep (al-Jamma’ or al-Jalha’). Similarly, a sheep with a broken horn is also acceptable; it does not affect the validity of the sacrifice even if the break causes bleeding, unless the injury is so severe that it leads to the spoilage of the meat. And Allah the Almighty knows best.
What is the ruling on performing dry ablution (tayammum) instead of the ritual bath due to severe cold?
Whoever is sick such that he cannot use water, or finds the water cold and heating it is not possible, and the person would be harmed by using cold water, it is permissible for him to perform tayammum. He must make up what he prayed with tayammum, because this is a place where there is water. And Allah the Almighty knows best.
What is the ruling of Islamic Law on shaving body hair and clipping the nails for one who is in a state of major ritual impurity (*junub*)?
All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
It is recommended for one in a state of major ritual impurity (junub) not to remove anything from his body until after the ritual bath (ghusl). It is stated in Bushrā al-Karīm bi-Sharḥ Masāʾil al-Taʿlīm (p. 135): “It is recommended for one in a state of janābah and the like not to remove anything from his body until after ghusl, because the parts of the body return to him in the Hereafter, and he returns in a state of janābah, as a rebuke to him. Then it is removed from him, except for the original parts. It is said that every hair demands its due for its janābah.”
It is stated in Ḥāshiyat al-Shabrāmallisī ʿalā Nihāyat al-Muḥtāj (Vol.2/p.341): “If he wishes to combine shaving and the Friday ghusl, he should delay the shaving until after the ghusl if he is in a state of janābah, so that the ghusl removes its trace from the hair.” And Allah Almighty knows best.
