Permissible and impermissible items of trade

Selling ladies clothing

Q: Is it permissible to buy and sell ladies clothes? Nowadays, the clothes are according to the latest trend and fashion in the market which is not in our control. The clothes include shirts and trousers which ladies wear nowadays. Is it halaal or haraam?

Charging the client for the delivery note

Q: Zaid (a wholesaler) sold goods on credit to the value of R100 000 to Amr (a retailer) on 15 January 2018. The goods were delivered on the same day and the customer’s copy of the delivery note was signed by Amr and given to him for his records with the goods that were delivered to him on the same day. On 26 February 2018 the amount owed for the goods was still outstanding and Amr realised that his goods receiving clerk misplaced the delivery note that was given with the goods. Amr was very concerned that his auditors will insist on inspecting the copy of the delivery note so he quickly contacted Zaid and requested a copy of the delivery note that the supplier normally keeps. Zaid informed Amr that his company’s policy is to charge R100 for this request as it requires the time of his admin clerk who has to leave whatever work he is doing and now attend to searching through the company records, locating that particular delivery note, then scanning it and emailing it. Amr is very happy to pay the R100 fee so long as he gets a copy of the delivery note.

Is it permissible for Zaid to charge Amr this agreed upon fee for the copy of the delivery note?