All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.
The fundamental Islamic principle is that competitions in which a participant enters into a chance of material gain or loss fall under the category of gambling (qimār), which is prohibited. Its prohibition is established in the Qur'an and the Sunnah, and scholars consider it among the major sins. This is based on the words of Allah the Almighty {which mean}: " O ye who believe! Intoxicants and gambling, (dedication of) stones, and (divination by) arrows, are an abomination,- of Satan’s handwork: eschew such (abomination), that ye may prosper. Satan’s plan is (but) to excite enmity and hatred between you, with intoxicants and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allah, and from prayer: will ye not then abstain? [Al-Mai`dah/90-91].
The concept of a prize draw, as mentioned, falls under the ruling of prohibited competitions. This ruling is not altered by the fact that the prize money comes from the participants' own funds or is donated by an external third party. Likewise, the ruling is not changed by the fact that the proceeds are directed towards a goal that is itself permissible according to Islamic Law, for the ends do not justify the means. The reason for the prohibition of such a lottery is that every participant faces the probability of either gaining a prize or losing their money; this is the very essence of prohibited gambling.
There exists, however, a permissible alternative that aligns with the noble objective of the donation campaign and holds greater reward with Allah the Almighty. This alternative is for the tickets purchased by an individual to be considered solely as a donation (ṣadaqah), where the donor seeks reward and recompense from Allah alone, without seeking any worldly gain. In this permissible scenario, there would be no draw held on the purchased tickets. This model serves as a legitimate Islamic alternative to the one described in the query. The people of our country are known for their inclination towards charitable deeds. Allah the Almighty says {what means}: " Help ye one another in righteousness and piety, but help ye not one another in sin and rancour: fear Allah. for Allah is strict in punishment." [Al-Mai`dah/2]. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Whoever relieves a believer of a hardship from the hardships of this world, Allah will relieve him of a hardship from the hardships of the Day of Resurrection. Whoever provides ease for one in difficulty, Allah will provide ease for him in this world and the Hereafter. And Allah is helping the servant as long as the servant is helping his brother." [Narrated by Muslim]
Regarding the commission taken by the company, it is imperative that this percentage is disclosed to the donors clearly, before they purchase the tickets.
In conclusion, it is not permissible according to Islamic law to sell charity tickets that involve prizes for winners selected by draw, as this constitutes prohibited gambling. And Allah the Almighty knows best.
