Fatwa #4256820 October 2019Pakistan
Is it permissible to have plot schemes or ballot schemes with regards to property?
Question
Hi. I am from Lahore. There is a question I want to ask regarding property. In lahore there are certain plot schemes. In this scheme, you submit an application to real estate. Then there is a balloting which occurs in which all applications of all applicants who have applied are balloted. Successful applicants in balloting are then eligible to buy plots. They have to give money for plot in order to get its possession otherwise there plot is cancelled. Now i want to ask that initially while applying for balloting you have to give some little application fee for processing your application. This processing fee is charged to each applicant for verification and validation of data, sending tcs to office, and updating online platform etc. But after balloting this processing fee is not returned to either successful applicants or to unsuccessful applicants. Now i want to ask that does this comes into gambling? Because I think so application fee is used for processing your application and through this process becomes more secure. And it is not gambling that processing fee is not returned to either successful or unsuccessful applicants. Because plot agency is doing work of processing application and they should be given due fee for that. Just like we have application fee for getting admission is school or university etc. What do you say on this that it is permissible or not permissible?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
According to your explanation, the fee is charged for administrative costs in order to determine successful applicants to purchase plots.
Accordingly, the fee is permissible. The fee is not gambling. [1][2]
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Ahmad Patel
Student Darul Iftaa
South Africa
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
1] لأن القمار من القمر الذي يزداد تارة وينقص أخرى ، وسمي القمار قمارا لأن كل واحد من المقامرين ممن يجوز أن يذهب ماله إلى صاحبه ، ويجوز أن يستفيد مال صاحبه وهو حرام بالنص رد المحتار: ج 9 ص 665
الباب الأول في تعريف البيع وركنه وشرطه وحكمه وأنواعه ) أما تعريفه فمبادلة المال بالمال بالتراضي ( الفتاوى الهندية: ج 3 ص 3 دار الكتب العلمية
الفصل السادس في تفسير الربا وأحكامه وهو في الشرع عبارة عن فضل مال لا يقابله عوض في معاوضة مال بمال وهو محرم في كل مكيل وموزون بيع مع جنسه ( الفتاوى الهندية: ج 3 ص 125 دار الكتب العلمية )
2] فتاوي محموديه(16/435)
3] فتاوي دار العلوم زكريا(5/388)
Follow Mufti Ebrahim Desai’s official Twitter handle: @MuftiEbrahim
Latest Tweet:
“If a saint regards a sinful person to be a criminal, that makes the saint a criminal. A sinful person can become a saint and a saint can become a criminal. A saint should not be content with his present condition and a sinful person should never despair.”