Is It Permissible to Develop UI for NFT Projects With Random Rewards?
Answered by Shaykh Muhammad Carr
Question
The company purchases real physical items (e.g., Pokémon cards), scans them, and converts them into NFTs backed by real-world asset (RWA) value. Users buy a certain number of blockchain tokens, which can then be used to mint a random NFT. The type and rarity of the NFT are unknown until minted, with some being more valuable than others. These NFTs can be transferred or sold. Users may also purchase “power-ups” to increase their chances of obtaining rarer items. If an NFT is “burned,” the digital asset is permanently destroyed, and the original physical card is sent to the user.
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
May Allah reward you for ensuring that your services are per Islamic Law.
Allah says,
“Cooperate with one another in goodness and righteousness, and do not cooperate in sin and transgression.” [Quran, 5:2]
UI development, in itself, is permissible. However, in this context, your service contributes to aiding in sin and transgression.
Working as a UI developer for a company that sells NFTs linked to physical items, where users purchase tokens for random rewards that can be traded or sold is impermissible, and such a service contract is deemed null and void. [See: Haytami, Tuhfat al-Muhtaj]
Random rewards amount to contractual uncertainty. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) prohibited the sale of uncertainty. [Muslim]
What is UI?
UI development (short for User Interface development) is the process of creating the visual and interactive parts of a digital product—like a website, mobile app, or desktop software—that users directly see and interact with.
In simple terms, it’s about building what the user clicks, taps, types into, or looks at on the screen.
UI for NFT’s
Developing UI designed explicitly for selling NFTs, where users purchase tokens for random rewards, is not permissible. This is comparable to selling crosses that only have a proscribed functionality. ‘Aisha (Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) did not leave anything in his home bearing crosses without erasing or breaking it. [Bukhari] In the Shafi‘i School, the sale of crosses is not permitted, as they are treated like idols. [Refer: Shirbini, Mughni al-Muhtaj]
I pray this is of benefit and that Allah guides us all.
[Shaykh] Muhammad Carr
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Muhammad Carr has dedicated his life to studying and transmitting our beautiful deen. His studies have taken him around the globe, where he has benefitted from many luminaries. Under the guidance of his teachers – Shaykh Taha Karan, Shaykh Yaseen Abbas, Shaykh Muadh Ali, and many others – Shaykh Muhammad has grown to appreciate the beauty and benefits of diverse scholarship. He completed his memorization of the Qur’an at Dar al-Ulum Zakariyyah in September 1997 and received an Alimiyya Degree in 2006 from DUAI (Darul Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah). He is also affiliated with Masjid Auwal in Bo Kaap, Cape Town (the oldest mosque in South Africa), where he serves as a co-imam, and Dar Al-Safa, where he has taught since 2018. As a teacher, he imparts the wisdom of our heritage and tradition by opening the door to students. As an imam, he has the unique opportunity to serve his community in daily life.
In addition to his roles as a teacher and imam, Shaykh Muhammad Carr has contributed significantly to the administrative and advisory aspects of Islamic institutions. Since 2023, he has served as the Administrative Director at The Imam Kurani Institute, contributing to the institution’s growth and development. He continues to pursue traditional Islamic Sciences, possessing a keen interest in Islamic Contract Law and Finance. Shaykh Muhammad has been a Shari‘a Board Member for Islamic Asset Management & Insurance Companies since 2001, aligning financial practices with Islamic principles.
