The chance of winning

I initially intended to write about something entirely different, but something happened to me recently which inspired me to write this input. I was going to the grocery store to do some shopping… there was a man there who stopped me in my steps, I figured I’d hear him out. Was he a person who needed help to find a specific item among the shelves? As it turns out, he was a salesman of some kind. He offered me a bonus for shopping in the store if I signed up for a subsciption on a lottery. A chance to win money.

On their website, that lottery company also states that they are tied to non-profit organisations that are helping society. It is used as a marketing strategy. “Every time you buy a lottery ticket, you support … ” and “Together we make the world a little better.” Ok so why not go to the charity organisations directly then, and have them receive the full funding to such goals directly? Well, the strategy is to encourage people to be more willing to buy if they feel that a part of their money goes to a cause… they do something good while having a chance to win. That is the bottom line and the primary selling point… the chance to win.

Most people, (especially a seller), in this society may have trouble understanding the reason why someone would reject them based on spiritual values… so even if you were to say, “I am a muslim, things like gambling is not allowed in our religion”, trying to explain to them that there are no “chance happenings”, that whatever we have or whatever we gain comes from our Creator, it is naseeb… well, the person would likely just stand like a big loeh…

“Umm what? Are you sure you don’t want to buy a lottery ticket?”

Most people tie gambling (or lotteries with the chance of winning money) to the pursuit of riches. However, after this encounter at the store, I started to consider this aya…

سورة البقرة ٢١٩
يَسۡـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلۡخَمۡرِ وَٱلۡمَيۡسِرِۖ قُلۡ فِيهِمَآ إِثۡمٞ كَبِيرٞ وَمَنَٰفِعُ لِلنَّاسِ وَإِثۡمُهُمَآ أَكۡبَرُ مِن نَّفۡعِهِمَاۗ

Surah Al-Baqara 2:219
They ask thee concerning wine and gambling. Say: “In them is great sin, and some profit, for men; but the sin is greater than the profit.”

…and realized that the sin is a much broader issue than “greed” by itself. “The sin is greater than the profit.” What does it mean? True enough, the primary motivation is the chance to gain a profit…

سورة العاديات ٦-٨
إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ لِرَبِّهِۦ لَكَنُودٞ
وَإِنَّهُۥ عَلَىٰ ذَٰلِكَ لَشَهِيدٞ
وَإِنَّهُۥ لِحُبِّ ٱلۡخَيۡرِ لَشَدِيدٌ

Surah Al-Aadiyaat 100:6-8
Truly man is, to his Lord, ungrateful;
And to that (fact) he bears witness (by his deeds);
And violent is he in his love of wealth.

In these ayat I just put is the main point that makes it a much broader issue… truly man is, to his Lord, ungrateful. And to that fact he bears witness by his deeds. For one rather simple thing… those who believe in the “chance” of winning do not only carry a sense of greed in their hearts, they do not recognize things as a divine decision, and thus do not see it as a gift from Him. It is seen as purely coincidental, He is forgotten in the striving for success. But what most humans fail to understand in some way or another, and this can even happen to muslims sometimes, is that nothing in this life is by “chance”… yes, we know it, but may not think of it at all times. The idea that “chance” even exists is an idea that forsakes every single decision that has ever been made by Him. Indeed. Every decision. Chance is something outside of His decision or control, and deep down we all know that isn’t so. Like our own creation. Not by chance. The fact that we were put together in perfect order. Not by chance. Everything happening in our lives, and I mean everything… it’s not by chance.

سورة الحديد ٢٢-٢٣
مَآ أَصَابَ مِن مُّصِيبَةٖ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَا فِيٓ أَنفُسِكُمۡ إِلَّا فِي كِتَٰبٖ مِّن قَبۡلِ أَن نَّبۡرَأَهَآۚ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ يَسِيرٞ
لِّكَيۡلَا تَأۡسَوۡاْ عَلَىٰ مَا فَاتَكُمۡ وَلَا تَفۡرَحُواْ بِمَآ ءَاتَىٰكُمۡۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُخۡتَالٖ فَخُورٍ

سورة لقمان ٣٤
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عِندَهُۥ عِلۡمُ ٱلسَّاعَةِ وَيُنَزِّلُ ٱلۡغَيۡثَ وَيَعۡلَمُ مَا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡحَامِۖ وَمَا تَدۡرِي نَفۡسٞ مَّاذَا تَكۡسِبُ غَدٗاۖ وَمَا تَدۡرِي نَفۡسُۢ بِأَيِّ أَرۡضٖ تَمُوتُۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرُۢ

Surah Al-Hadid 57:22-23
No misfortune can happen on earth or in your souls but is recorded in a decree before We bring it into existence: That is truly easy for Allah:
In order that ye may not despair over matters that pass you by, nor exult over favours bestowed upon you. For Allah loveth not any vainglorious boaster,-

Surah Luqman 31:34
Verily the knowledge of the Hour is with Allah (alone). It is He Who sends down rain, and He Who knows what is in the wombs. Nor does any one know what it is that he will earn on the morrow: Nor does any one know in what land he is to die. Verily with Allah is full knowledge and He is acquainted (with all things).

And that is important to try and remember. Because as soon as we start to consider events in a different way… we somehow don’t recognize His part in it…

سورة الكهف ٢٣-٢٤
وَلَا تَقُولَنَّ لِشَاْيۡءٍ إِنِّي فَاعِلٞ ذَٰلِكَ غَدًا
إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ ٱللَّهُۚ وَٱذۡكُر رَّبَّكَ إِذَا نَسِيتَ وَقُلۡ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَهۡدِيَنِ رَبِّي لِأَقۡرَبَ مِنۡ هَٰذَا رَشَدٗا

سورة هود ١٢٣
وَلِلَّهِ غَيۡبُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَإِلَيۡهِ يُرۡجَعُ ٱلۡأَمۡرُ كُلُّهُۥ فَٱعۡبُدۡهُ وَتَوَكَّلۡ عَلَيۡهِۚ وَمَا رَبُّكَ بِغَٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعۡمَلُونَ

Surah Al-Kahf 18:23-24
Nor say of anything, “I shall be sure to do so and so tomorrow”-
Without adding, “So please Allah!” and call thy Lord to mind when thou forgettest, and say, “I hope that my Lord will guide me ever closer (even) than this to the right road.”

Surah Hud 11:123
To Allah do belong the unseen (secrets) of the heavens and the earth, and to Him goeth back every affair (for decision): then worship Him, and put thy trust in Him: and thy Lord is not unmindful of aught that ye do.

I have written a few inputs that touches on this whole aspect. In the midst of our lives we are also very quick to forget. (There is even a reason for this… aya 20:15: “Verily the Hour is coming – My design is to keep it hidden – for every soul to receive its reward by the measure of its Endeavour.“) So it never hurts to repeat. I would also like to strongly recommend reading the input “Qadar” again, more so if you haven’t read it before. And strive to keep the following in mind…

سورة البقرة ١٥٢
فَٱذۡكُرُونِيٓ أَذۡكُرۡكُمۡ وَٱشۡكُرُواْ لِي وَلَا تَكۡفُرُونِ

Surah Al-Baqara 2:152
Then do ye remember Me; I will remember you. Be grateful to Me, and reject not Faith.

I hope that you found this an inspiring input and that it has brought something to consider.

The best of times to you all inshallah.
Peace, happiness, and stay faithful.