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Working for his father who sells lottery tickets

Question

I am working with my father in his gas station. He wants to bring in lottery and scratch off tickets. I want to know if I can work with him or look for another job. He says he will not be angry if I leave, but I know he will! Please advise me.

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

Lottery and scratch off tickets are a form of gambling so they are forbidden; for more benefit, please refer to Fataawa: 89474 and 88854.

As regards the ruling on working in a petrol station where these tickets are sold, then the matter is one of the following:

1) If your work involves selling these tickets or helping in selling them by any means, then it is forbidden for you to work in such a station. Allaah says (which means): {Help you one another in virtue, righteousness and piety but do not help one another in sin and transgression. And fear Allaah. Verily, Allaah is Severe in punishment.}[Quran 5:2].

2) If you have nothing at all to do with selling such tickets, like for instance if there is a separate worker who sells these tickets, then there is no harm on you in working in this petrol station, Inshaa' Allaah.

Allaah knows best.

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