Organizing a prize tournament where money is collected from participants is subject to certain conditions in Islamic law. To avoid it being considered gambling, specific rules must be followed.
- Third-Party Rewarding: If the prizes are provided by a third party or a sponsor, instead of being funded by the money collected from the participants, and the competition is legitimate, such tournaments are permissible.
- Reward Between Participants: If one of the participants offers something by saying, “If you win, this prize is yours; if I win, I don’t want anything from you,” and the competition is legitimate and does not lead to negative consequences, it is also permissible.
- Money Collected from Participants: If the prizes are financed by the money collected from the participants, this could fall under gambling, which is impermissible. In such cases, the money collected should only cover costs like food or refreshments, while the prizes should be provided by the organizer or a sponsor.
Ultimately, it is important that prize tournaments do not encourage gambling or games of chance. Events should be organized within the boundaries of what is permissible, aiming for the benefit of the participants, especially young people.