MUI Declares Using Registration Fees for 17 August Competition Prizes Haram, Classified as Gambling

Deputy Secretary of the Fatwa Commission of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), KH Abdul Muiz Ali, has reminded the public to observe sharia provisions when holding competitions to commemorate the Independence Day of the Republic of Indonesia.

According to Muiz Ali, competition activities to enliven the anniversary of Indonesian independence are basically permissible in Islam. However, the organising committee may not take prize money from the registration fees paid by participants.

The use of participant registration fees as a source of prizes is considered to be a form of gambling, or qimar.

Muiz Ali explained that Indonesian independence is a blessing and a gift from Allah SWT that should be appreciated. One positive form of celebration can be carried out through various community competitions.

According to him, such activities can serve as a means to improve agility and discipline while strengthening togetherness among residents.

“Islamic scholars have reached a consensus on the permissibility of competitions in general. Competitions without prizes are absolutely permissible, such as running races or other agility contests,” said Muiz Ali, citing the view of Ibn Qudamah in the book Al-Mughni, Monday 10 August 2026.

Although competitions are permissible, he paid particular attention to the financing mechanism of competitions that provide prizes for winners.

Muiz Ali said that Islamic jurisprudence prohibits the organising committee from collecting participant registration fees and then using those funds to pay the winners’ prizes.

“One thing that must be avoided is the practice of gambling. This means that the committee is not allowed to use participant registration fees as part of the prize costs. That is not correct according to fiqh provisions and is haram,” he stressed.

Muiz Ali referred to the book Hasyiyah al-Bajuri ’ala Fath al-Qarib to explain the limits of gambling in a competition.

He explained that a game that places participants in a state of uncertainty between gaining profit or suffering loss, by staking their own money, falls into the category of gambling.

Therefore, the mechanism of competitions with prizes needs to be designed so that the prizes do not come from money staked by participants.

Muiz Ali emphasised that competition activities in the context of independence celebrations can still be carried out as long as the mechanism does not contain elements of gambling.