I'm hardly a practicing Muslim anyway: I do not pray or fast. One more sin will not harm me?

You cannot be more wrong. Anyone committing a sin irrespective of how sinful he already is is harming himself. Every sin and every good deed will be accounted for on the Day o judgement. The more sins you stop committing the greater you win the battle for your soul. It IS WRONG FOR ANY MUSLIM to ever fill that he is too much of a sinful person for Allah to ever forgive him. On this subject Allah says" Were the son of Adam to come to me with sins reaching up to the sky I would still forgive him" Make that change from this moment. Ask for Allah's forgiveness and start practicing.

All the Money is going to charities and other good causes. It’s a donation rather than Gambling.

First of all only 25%-28% of the lottery money goes to *good causes*. 50% goes on prizes (so a few individuals become millionaires) 12% is tax (so the government gets it) 5% goes to the retailers (so the shopkeepers get it) and the 5% goes to Camelot (so they can line their pockets) As you can see only a quarter goes to good causes and they include art galleries, museums and charities. Secondly in Islam you are not permitted to do a forbidden act even it leads to some good. The rule of FIQH states "the ends do not justify the means". Would you sell drugs to finance the building of a mosque? Finally, to donate some money to worthwhile causes a rewarding act. And there are many good Islamic charities around, and the National LOTTERY IS NOT ONE OF THEM!

Many Muslim Country including Pakistan and Egypt have National Lottery.

Muslim does not decide on what is haram (allowed or forbidden) on the basis of what happens in Muslim countries. Our right or wrong comes directly from the Holy Quran and the Sunnah. In Pakistan government has not implemented Shari'h (ISLAMIC LEGAL SYSTEM). That does not mean it is now Islamic to live without Shariah. Similarly in Egypt, the government allows nightclubs and nearly naked belly dancers. This does not mean that they are also accepted in Islam. Indeed they are not!

Isn't it true that ALLAH chooses the National Lottery Winners?

• As Muslims we believe that nothing happens in the universe without the will of Allah. His knowledge covers everything: He knows the past, the present and the future. Therefore, He knows who will win all national lotteries and He knows when you and I will die. But He does not force anyone to do the forbidden or the good. He tests you to see what you would do under certain circumstances. But it is you who, out of your will, and freedom of choice, decide to spend £1 or $1on a national lottery ticket, and not on your family etc. And it is you who must pay the price on the day of judgement for the decisions you made on Earth (as indeed we all will).

What does Judaism and Christianity say about the Lottery/ National Lottery?

• The Methodist Church has slammed all forms of gambling which includes the Lottery, as harmful instruments of the Devil. They base this on the verse" nor do anything whereby thy brother stumbles, or is offended, or is made weak"(Romans 14:21) arguing that gambling harms society and so must be shunned. However as seem quite prevalent within the Christian church a lot of principles are being compromised on, and you will find the Most churches actually allow gambling: the roman Catholics even allow bingo to played within their institution Judaism is split over it's verdict on the Lottery. The majority rabbis say that it is permitted. Of those some say that, although permitted, a gambler is not suitable as witness, nor his charity accepted.

What about selling National LOTTERY Tickets?

• Shopkeepers or any persons selling items for use in gambling, which includes lottery tickets, are committing a major sin. This is from the Islamic Fiqh (juristic) ruling that "that which leads to haram is itself haram."

But why Allah has forbidden Gambling?

1. Gambling is addictive and many people stake their hard-earned wages in forms of gambling and lose their wealth and even homes, while their families go hungry. This leads to many social ills, including the break up of families, and Islam is about building families and providing for them, not neglecting them and destroying them.

2. In all forms of gambling, including the National Lottery, only a very small proportion of people wins. The majority is losers. In effect gambling takes money from the vast majority of people

3. Intense jealousy begins as losers look enviously at the winners. This causes hatred among people, and Islam is about creating love and brotherhood not, not hatred.

4. Gamblers spend much time and effort in dreaming " what I would do if I won a million", longing and wishing that time and effort could be better spent in looking after their families and remembering Allah.

5. Islam wants you to rely on ALLAH and earn your income with your feet firmly planed on the ground, and not rely on dreams and the National LOTTERY! This is a form of minor SHIRK (relying on other than ALLAH)

6. Allah is our creator and He knows the best, and in his wisdom He has made all forms of gambling forbidden for us and as Muslims we place our trust in Him.

What does Islam says about National Lottery?

Lottery is a form of gambling and as such is haram in Islam. All forms of gambling: staking money on card games; horse racing; gambling machines etc. are all forbidden in Islam. Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was against any form of gambling. All the companions of prophet (SAW) against any form of gambling. The four jurists declare that any form of gambling is strictly prohibited, and whomever gamble in any way are committing a major sin. All this is based on strong ayah (verse) in the Holy Qur'an where Allah SAYS:" O who you believe! Intoxicants (e.g. alcohol) and gambling and idols and (lottery by) arrows are an abomination of Satan’s work, so avoid them so that you may get salvation. Satan's only desire is to create among you enmity and hatred by means of intoxicants and gambling and stop you from praying and remembering Allah. Will you not then stop? (Sura Ma'idah 5:90,91)

The UK National Lottery Scam

Many people in Pakistan have received e-mails purporting to come from the National Lottery in the United Kingdom, telling them that they have won a large sum of money. Recipients of such e-mails should be very careful. They are usually followed by another e-mail asking the winner to pay an amount of money (usually several hundred pounds) for payment of a fee or other charges. This is a trick, designed to get your money.

The British High Commission in Pakistan urges anyone receiving unsolicited correspondence claiming to be from UK lottery companies to exercise extreme caution, particularly if they have been asked for money in order to receive winnings. Legitimate UK lottery companies DO NOT ask for money or personal banking details. If a member of the public receives an e-mail or a letter claiming to be from a lottery they have not entered, we advise them not to reply to it and not to complete any claim forms. Remember, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

The UK National Lottery website says:

- We do not advise a player who has won a prize by e-mail. If the e-mail says 'Winning Notification' or 'Lottery Sweep Stake' in the text, the e-mail you've received is not from UK National Lottery;

- We do not put winning numbers or winning dates on an e-mail;

- We do not advise of a winning amount on an e-mail;

- We do not ask Players for information like name, address or bank details in an e-mail;

Some tips on how to spot if the correspondence is fraudulent:

-There may be a sense of urgency, e.g. "respond within 5 days or your account will be closed";

- There may be links within the body of the e-mail that look legitimate because they contain all or part of a real company's name. These links may take you to fake websites which ask you to update personal information;

- Finally, do you remember entering the competition? If not, then chances are you haven't won and the information is false.

For further guidance on this, please visit the official governmental website of the UK National Lottery

Pakistani Student Wins $5 Million Lottery in New York

Beenish Tariq, Lottery Winner: "What anyone would feel like. Excited, I guess? Surprised?" She is only 20 and she has her future all set. The college senior from Flushing just came forward to claim her prize. It was a scratch-off ticket that only cost $10 that her dad bought her over Christmas.

Now, she is rich.

Nadia Tariq, Beenish's Sister: "We were showing each other the tickets. And at the last we realized we hit the jackpot." "She scratched it off, she saw the number, she sat there looking at it for like five minutes. Then she realized she had won. She showed it to me, we started jumping up and down." The family waited nearly nine months to come forward, hoping to minimize publicity. Fat chance.

The Tariqs immigrated here from Pakistan in 1990, and already they've realized the American dream. Mohammad Qureshi, Beenish's Father: "I love this country with my soul and heart."