Is money resulting from a lottery ticket bought by a non-Muslim friend and given to my father, without his request or any financial consideration, considered lawful (halal) or unlawful (haram) in the event of a win?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
Buying a lottery ticket to enter gambling is forbidden (), and the money earned from it is illicit money (mal haram) that must be disposed of by spending it on the welfare of Muslims or by giving it to the poor and needy. A poor and needy father is permitted to benefit from this money to the extent of his need, and it becomes lawful for him, for "if it [the ill-gotten money] is given to a poor person, it does not become forbidden for the poor person; rather, it becomes lawful and pure for them, and they may give it as charity to themselves and their dependents if they are poor."
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/138050
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 138050
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy