{"_id":"668da05d0b76658b4c23353b","title":"Is the drawing lots in pre-Islamic Arabia the same as a coin toss?","question":"In Surah Al-Maidah, it is made forbidden to “draw lots” (as was common practice in pre-Islamic Arabia) for decisions because it is evil. Is there more context here? For example, is a coin toss in kickoff for an nfl game, or using a random number generator to determine order for something considered evil? Or is this referring verse (5-3) more narrow in scope? Some of the use cases for coin flips or random number generators seem practical.","answer":"The practice in question involved inscribing answers on sticks and then drawing one from among them before an idol to determine the course of action. It's recounted that Imruʾ al-Qais, the renowned poet and prince of Kinda, resorted to this method to decide whether to seek vengeance for his father's assassination. When the drawn stick advised against seeking revenge, he snapped it in two, addressing the idol poetically, suggesting that had the idol been in his situation, it would not prohibit him from avenging his father.\n\nThis specific practice, involving drawing lots before idols, was the one prohibited, not simple methods that are devoid of any religious beliefs, like a coin toss or drawing straws, which are entirely acceptable in Islam. In fact, it's well-documented that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, to ensure fairness, would draw lots among his wives to determine who would accompany him when traveling. Therefore, practices like coin tosses, drawing straws, or picking names out of a hat are all permitted in Islam.","tags":[{"_id":"668d9fe70b76658b4c2328a0","tag":"Quran: Tafseer","count":34},{"_id":"668da0400b76658b4c233240","tag":"Seerah: Other","count":18}],"createdOn":"2024-07-09T20:41:01.158Z"}