The lucky draws

The lucky draws, as described, are permissible. The difference between them and gambling is that in gambling you pay for the chance to win. This is exactly the difference between the Haram and Halal, it is not the point of distribution by chance. There may be an ambiguity caused by translation. Distribution of a gift or a privilege by chance is called Qur’ah. Qur’ah is a random selection to give a gift or a privilege. The Prophet, pbuh, used this technique in selecting who among his blessed Wives, would accompany Him in travels. Such draws becomes prohibited, if prices are inflated to include gambling. The example is if the normal price of a commodity is x but it is sold for x+y if you want to participate in the draw. One may argue that the cost of promotion is anyway included in the price charged to consumers one way or another, but that alone does not cause prohibition if the price for that commodity is x+y for all customers, those who enter the draw chance and those who do not because it is normal that all cost be included in the calculation of prices whether they are given by a draw or otherwise; in fact, giving it by a random draw is more fair and more acceptable by customers (this is why the Prophet used it in selecting the privileged wife for each travel). What caused it is paying a price for the chance(Dr. Monzer Kahf,2004).