Trade

Q: I want to buy furniture for my house as I am shifting to a new flat. But I can't really pay cash currently. But the shopkeeper is charging interest on that. So is it permissible? I have heard that if I know the total increased price then it is permissible. e.g If I buy a car now I have to pay 8000 but on instalments the new price will be 10,000. But they increase it and say that its the interest rate. However I know the final price so is it permissible?

Q: If you lie to get wealth, does the wealth become haram?

Q: I want to sell my car and I know that in most cases, people will not be able to buy it cash. I know a car dealer who arranges finance from the bank for customers. Can I advertise the car and say that finance can be arranged, and when a customer comes to me, I will send him to the car dealer who I know will assist him with the finance? Will this be permissible?

Q: We have a bookshop selling Urdu and international novels. As you know there is romance in every novel. I want to know whether it is permissible to sell novels or not in Islam. Kindly reply in accordance with Qur'an and Ahaadith or some early scholars.

Q: If I have been using several versions of windows Operating systems (sometimes copies sometimes fake/cracked serial) shall I purchase individually all the copies I have used? Problem is I don't remember all the softwares I have used and for how much time I used them. Does it constitute as debt if I don't purchase all the versions of windows I have used? Thanking you in advance for your time and consideration.

Q: My wife bought a painting from someone which was still to be painted. She was given a description of what the painting would look like but she didn’t see it. She also didn’t know what the size of the painting would be. Also, when my wife enquired regarding the price, she was told, ‘‘Don’t worry. You don’t need to pay me.’’ After a few days, my wife asked the lady if she had started with the painting. She said, ‘‘No’’. So my wife told her that she no longer wanted the painting.

Two weeks later, the lady brought the painting and asked her to pay for it. My wife paid her because she didn’t want to cause problems. Besides not liking the painting, it was also too expensive. My questions are:

1. What is the condition of this transaction?

2. If the transaction is not correct, what is the way out?

Q: I want to open a salon for manicures, pedicures, facials, etc. Is this permissible? I will not be cutting hair, shaping eyebrows, etc.

Q: Is beauty salon business halaal?

Q: I have set up Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts for my company. I have installed both ‘image-blocking’ and ‘advert-blocking’ software on my internet browser that blocks all images and adverts which may appear on any site – but specifically for Twitter, Facebook, etc. Furthermore, my Twitter and Facebook accounts are linked – meaning that whatever I post on one site, will automatically appear on the other. I can do this for Instagram as well. Hence, my interaction with these sites will be kept to the minimum. I have set up these social media accounts for general marketing purposes and interacting with customers, etc. As the business is an online one with probably all the customers being international, this manner of interaction/advertising is probably most suitable for the technological nature of the company. In light of these precautions, can I make use of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for this express, business purpose?