'Cedok' TikTok trend: Many unaware that such activity is haram

SHAH ALAM – The current trend of "cedok" among online sellers that is going viral on TikTok is increasingly concerning as such activity is forbidden (haram) in Islam.

The trend involved buying and selling items such as snacks, cosmetics, decorative items, jewellery among others.

The sellers would then scoop up the items from bowls, containers or baskets randomly and have the buyer pay for the items the seller managed to scoop out for a certain amount.

It was considerably more profitable for the sellers when buyers were unable to choose what items they get from the "cedokan" (scoop) and the price were standardised regardless of the quantity and type of items obtained.

According to Al-Mausu'ah Al-Fiqhiyyah Al-Kuwaitiyah, other words that carry similar meaning to the act were "jahalah" or ignorance, "ghubn" which means deception and "tadlis" which is fraud.

The "cedok" act was closely related to a "mulamasah" type of sale (a sale which becomes binding just by the seller touching the object) which was forbidden in Islam.

This was also a clear basic structure of "gharar" which is uncertainty of whether the items will be obtained or not.

Thus, both sellers and buyers are advised to be cautious as such sale activity was haram.

It may appear to be enjoyable and most would participate in it in order to kill time or to keep up with the latest trend, but it could also be devastating.