Question
I am the owner of a sports magazine, I make money by selling advertising space to businesses in my magazine. Is income generated from betting/alcohol/cigarettes companies advertised in my magazine haraam?
Answer
The impermissibility of gambling and alcohol is clearly understood from the Quraan and Hadith. The funds used to pay for these advertisements is most probably from the sale of alcohol and funds acquired from casinos or gambling which is Haraam. Hence, your income derived from these sources will be Haraam.
Smoking cigarettes is Makrooh-e-Tahreemi (impermissible). As advertising something that is impermissible results in promoting the impermissible item, such advertising would be impermissible and the income derived therefrom would also be impermissible.
In effect, by promoting gambling, alcohol and cigarettes, you are assisting in the disobedience of Allah Ta’aala which is explicitly prohibited in the Quraan Sharif. We therefore advise that you refrain from advertising and marketing such products in your magazine.
Checked and Approved By:
Mufti Muhammed Saeed Motara Saheb D.B.