This year, mystery boxes become a trend in the e-commerce and gaming platforms. It gives buyers an exciting experience as it plants hopes of getting something that has the potential value. While they are exciting, Muslim consumers are asking an important question: “Are mystery boxes halal?”
The answer lies in examining the Islamic principles of trade, specifically the concept of gharar (excessive uncertainty).
What is Gharar?
Buying what’s unknown is considered gharar.
Gharar is derived from an Arabic term that means to cause hazard, deceive, chance, risk, or to create uncertainty. In Islamic law, gharar refers to transactions with ambiguity or uncertainty that could lead to unfair outcomes.
The Quran warns against unjust business practices, stating:
“O you who have believed, do not consume one another’s wealth unjustly but only [in lawful] business by mutual consent.” (Surah An-Nisa 4:29).
Mystery boxes, by their natural design, do involve uncertainty. Buyers don’t know exactly what they’re purchasing. This raises questions about their permissibility under Islamic law.
Types of gharar
Based on Sharia law, there are two types of gharar: gharar fahish (excessive gharar) and gharar yasir (light gharar). Excessive gharar is prohibited, while light gharar that involve minor uncertainty are tolerated in everyday transactions.
Excessive Gharar refers to transactions with high uncertainty or ambiguity, such as selling non-existent goods, unclear pricing, speculative trading, or selling the right to buy something without specifying details.
Meanwhile, light gharar are minor uncertainties that are generally acceptable in transactions, such as slight delays in delivery, small defects in goods, or fluctuations in market prices. This uncertainty is tolerable as long as it is not significant or exploitative.
What type of gharar is buying unknown items?
Buying what is unknown falls under excessive gharar because it involves high uncertainties, like not knowing what the item being bought is, its exact nature, or its quality. This kind of uncertainty creates significant risks and the potential for unfairness or exploitation.
According to research, gharar in modern finance includes speculative activities, derivatives, and short-selling, where the details or outcome of the transaction are unclear. Similarly, conventional insurance is seen as non-compliant with Islamic principles due to the uncertainty of premiums and claims.
Other than that, for instance, in modern days, like selling by scoop, an act of selling goods in an unclear, unmeasured, or uncertain manner, is ruled as gharar that is forbidden by Mufti.
What about mystery boxes? Mufti has released a statement regarding this matter, which is about buying a mystery box in Shopee, an e-commerce platform. Mufti answered that such transactions are not allowed in Islam. This is because, according to Islamic law, a sale must clearly specify what the buyer is purchasing.
It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said:
“The Messenger of Allah forbade Gharar transaction and Hasah transactions.” [Sunan an-Nasa’i 4518]
According to Mufti, the selling or purchasing of items is permissible when it fulfills requisites and basic conditions set by Shara’, which are:
- Parties who agree to the contract (seller and buyer)
- Sighah of the contract (Ijab and Qabul)
- Object and price
However, the question of whether it is permissible to buy a mystery or blind box, where all options are priced similarly but preferences may vary between individuals, has not been widely discussed. One example is the popular Pop Mart Labubu plushie, which has gained significant attention on social media.
Some scholars might view it as impermissible due to its uncertainty. Not only that, the appeal of Labubu’s attractive designs has led to situations of conflict, dishonesty, and even theft, as people fight to obtain the plushie.
