Question Summary:
I had a bet with a college of mine that he would not get his driving

Question Detail:

I had a bet with a college of mine that he would not get his driving
License before the year end, and if he would I wold give him Dhs 2000.
His offer was that if he failed to get his license by year end, he would give
nothing in return, kind of one sided bet.
He did get his license before year end, and I lost my bet.
I have approached him asking him to give me some lenience in the bet
payment, he has said maximum he can reduce is 500 Dhs, leaving me
with Dhs 1500 to pay him as his bet winning money.
So my query is, I do know betting is haram, so is it still true that I need to
pay him Dhs 1500 for the lost bet ?, what if I am not in a position to pay
that much of amount, surely I did not think he would win the bet when I
put the bet, so whats the binding on me in case I am not able to pay that
much amount ??, it is necessary that he forgive me in case I do not pay
that much amount ?? what if I can pay that much amount in monthly
installments, but dont want to pay !!! ....

Answer :

According to the Shar’iah, you cannot have a one-sided bet except in competitions approved and sanctioned by the Fuqahā such as horse racing, archery and foot races etc. In this scenario, you technically only made a w‘adah (promise) to give him a gift if he got his license. You should keep your promise and give him the gift. It is detested for a person to break his or her promise and one will be sinful for doing so. Nevertheless, if you are in a difficult financial situation, you do not have to fulfill the promise and your friend does not have a Shar‘ī right to the mentioned amount. The ruling in regards to gifts is that the person has to take the gifted item in his possession before the gifting is complete. If the person giving the gift changes his mind and decides not to give the gift, the person will not have a right to the gifted item. In the same light, even if a person makes a one-sided bet in any of the approved methods of competition, the prize money will merely be permissible for the winner; he will not be entitled to it. Thus, if the giver of the prize refuses to pay the money, the winner cannot force him to pay.
 
 
( الباب الخامس في الرجوع في الهبة وفيما يمنع عن الرجوع وما لا يمنع ) .
في الفتاوى الغياثية الرجوع في الهبة مكروه في الأحوال كلها ويصح ، كذا في التتارخانية .
يجب أن يعلم بأن الهبة أنواع ، هبة لذي رحم محرم وهبة لأجنبي أو لذي رحم ليس بمحرم أو لمحرم ليس بذي رحم وفي جميع ذلك للواهب حق الرجوع قبل التسليم هكذا في الذخيرة ، سواء كان حاضرا أو غائبا أذن له في قبضه أو لم يأذن له ، كذا في المبسوط ((الفتاوى الهندية ج 4 ص 385 , رشيدية)
 
وتجوز المسابقة بالخيل والبغال والحمير والإبل والأقدام، والرمي بالنبل. والأصل فيه، حديث أبي هريرة أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: «لا سبق إلا في خف أو نصل أو حافر». رواه أحمد والأربعة، والمراد بالخف: الإبل، وبالنصل: الرمي، وبالحافر: الفرس والبغل والحمار. قال الخطابي: الرواية الصحيحة بفتح الموحدة وهو ما يجعل من المال رهنا على المسابقة، وبالسكون مصدر سبقته أسبقه. وعن أبي هريرة أيضا قال: كانت المسابقة بين أصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم في الخيل والركاب والأرجل (فتح باب العناية بشرح النقاية ج 3 ص 37 , دار الارقم)
 
والمراد بالجواز المذكور في باب المسابقة الحل دون الاستحقاق حتى لو امتنع المغلوب من الدفع لا يجبره القاضي ولا يقضي عليه به (الفتاوى الهندية ج 6 ص 446 , رشيدية)

And Allah knows best
Ml. Yusuf bin Yaqub,
Student Darul Iftaa
Checked and Approved by:
Muhammed Zakariyya Desai,
Assistant Mufti
Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In'aamiyyah