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Fatwa CenterRuling on Random Gift Exchanges and Drawing Names
Question
Assalaamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh,
In a group, each person brings a gift of equal value. All gifts are placed together. A die is rolled or a box is used where each side has an instruction (e.g., take, swap, move). After several rounds, each person ends with one gift; there is no winner or loser, and the gifts are distributed through this process. Is this permissible? Does it fall under maysir? If so, how does it differ from drawing names?
Jazaakumullaahu khayran.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad (
) is His Slave and Messenger.
This form of randomly exchanging gifts described in the question according to us is not permissible. In reality, it constitutes a financial exchange involving significant uncertainty, and such uncertainty is a form of gambling. The fact that the gifts may be equal in value does not eliminate differences in benefit and desirability from one person to another.
Furthermore, using dice to determine the distribution is an additional reason for prohibition. The Prophet said: “Whoever plays with dice, it is as though he has dipped his hand in the flesh and blood of a pig.” (Muslim)
Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah 
said in Jaami‘ Al-Masaa’il:
“As for gambling, it combines two meanings:
First: consuming wealth unlawfully, such as transactions involving uncertainty, for that is a form of gambling.
Second: activities involving competition without benefit, which distract from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer, and lead to enmity and hatred, whether they involve compensation or not, such as playing with dice, chess, and similar games. All of this falls under gambling, just as the early scholars among the Companions and their successors explained regarding the verse” (End quote).
As for drawing names, if what is intended is drawing by lot, then drawing lots is permissible according to the majority of scholars, and it is used to determine unspecified rights or where there is competition over them.
However, in the scenario described in the question, it is not permissible for the reasons already mentioned.
Allah Knows best
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