Imposing an impermissible fee
Q: Our pathology lab offered our services to a certain hospital. The hospital told our lab that many other labs also offered their services to them. They said that if we want, they will choose our lab and give us all their contracts, on condition that since they are giving us the business, our lab should pay them a stipulated fee as a token of appreciation. Is it permissible for our lab to pay the hospital this stipulated fee?
A: The contract between the hospital and the lab is regarded as an ijaarah contract in Shari’ah. In an ijaarah contract, one person or party hires the permissible services of another party in lieu of a fixed fee. Once the services have been rendered in the correct manner, the fee mutually agreed upon will have to be paid. Hence, once the lab completes the work that was agreed upon, they will be entitled to the mutually agreed fee which will be paid to them by the hospital.
As for the condition attached by the hospital that the lab should pay a fee to them for giving them the contract, then this condition is invalid and impermissible in Shari’ah. The money that is being sought is not in lieu of anything and thus amounts to riba (interest). Hence, it is not permissible for the hospital to demand this amount from the lab, nor is it permissible for the lab to pay it to them.
However, if the hospital does not employ the services of the lab, but refers patients to the lab, then in this case, it is permissible for the hospital to enter into an agreement with the lab that the lab will pay them a referral fee for referring patients to them. If the lab agrees, it will be permissible for them to pay this specific amount to the hospital, and it will be permissible for the hospital to receive this amount from them.
And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best.
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الَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ الرِّبَا لَا يَقُومُونَ إِلَّا كَمَا يَقُومُ الَّذِي يَتَخَبَّطُهُ الشَّيْطَانُ مِنَ الْمَسِّ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا إِنَّمَا الْبَيْعُ مِثْلُ الرِّبَا وَأَحَلَّ اللَّـهُ الْبَيْعَ وَحَرَّمَ الرِّبَا فَمَن جَاءَهُ مَوْعِظَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِ فَانتَهَىٰ فَلَهُ مَا سَلَفَ وَأَمْرُهُ إِلَى اللَّـهِ وَمَنْ عَادَ فَأُولَـٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ ﴿البقرة: ٢٧٥﴾
عن جابر قال لعن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم آكل الربا وموكله وكاتبه وشاهديه وقال هم سواء (صحيح مسلم # 1598)
باب الربا هو لغة : مطلق الزيادة وشرعا (فضل) ... (خال عن عوض) ... (بمعيار شرعي) ... (مشروط) ذلك الفضل (لأحد المتعاقدين) أي بائع أو مشتر ... (في المعاوضة)
قال الشامي: (قوله أي بائع أو مشتر) أي مثلا فمثلهما المقرضان والراهنان قهستاني قال: ويدخل فيه ما إذا شرط الانتفاع بالرهن كالاستخدام والركوب والزراعة واللبس وشرب اللبن وأكل الثمر فإن الكل ربا حرام كما في الجواهر والنتف. (رد المحتار مع الدر المختار 5/ 168-170)
لأن الربا هو الفضل المستحق لأحد المتعاقدين في المعاوضة الخالي عن عوض شرط فيه (هداية 3/78)
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Checked & Approved:
Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)
Q: The issue here is something else as I understand. There may not be any monetary contract involved between the Hospital and the Lab. If the Hospital is asking for some commission as it referred customers to the Lab, then is this commission allowed? What if there is no ijaarah contract
between the two. And if we extend this to many spheres of current way of living, like commission given to any one by any one only for referring the customer and not actually servicing that customer?
A: The hospital is hiring the services of the lab. When they are hiring their services, then they cannot ask them for any commission.
And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best.
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