Q: I am a medical student who is also interested in web development, therefore I was thinking of developing a social media app similar to Facebook where people would be able to post photos. What I am concerned about is if people start to post immoral/obscene photos about which I am pretty sure they will on the website. Will I be sinning since I am providing a platform for such content??
Q: There is a website called hellopeter.com on which people review the service they received from various companies, list their complaints, grievances or even praise the service. Most of the postings are complaints against companies. The companies thereafter usually respond and try to resolve their issues. Sometimes the company or individual changed their ways, or got rid of a problem employee, but the negative reviews were not changed by the complainant.
Another example is that of Google maps reviews, which often can have a negative impact on a business when customers complain.
Both these websites are public and the complaints visible to all.
Is it permissible to complain/write a negative review, using these methods, against companies or individuals, with the hope of resolving legitimate grievances, such as non delivery of a promised service and the like? Or would this amount to backbiting?
Q: I had invested some amount way back in IMA (Islamic monetary advisory) and I received the profit monthly. Recently, government officials has suspected that its ponzy business but its under court. Now my heart says the money earned as profit earlier is not pure. Hence I'm planning to dispose the profit earned totally.
My questions:
1. Should I give to my blood relatives who are needy but they are not saahib-e-nisaab? They are asking for money for their house construction. Can I make the intention of disposing the profit earned through IMA.
2. Also, can I give this money as hadya to others?
Q: A certain person has a PDC (post-dated cheque) but needs the cash urgently. He approaches someone to give him cash in lieu of the cheque which the person will cash later on and receive the money. The person agrees to give him the cash in lieu of the cheque, but is only willing to pay him an amount that is less than the value of the cheque. For example, the cheque is for R25 000 and the person agrees to pay him R24 000 cash. Is it permissible for him to accept the R24 000 in lieu of his R25 000 cheque?
Q: Is it permissible to sell the fruit of a tree before the season of its growth (i.e. before it appears on the tree)?
Q: Is it permissible to buy an unborn calf or goat in advance? In other words, a person says to the farmer, “I am purchasing the next calf that is born from your flock.”
Q: Is it permissible for me to sell movies in my shop? Also, some customers have asked me to start selling magazines. The magazines they want are mostly filled with pictures of almost naked women. Is it ok for me to sell magazines like this if I make sure I don’t read it myself?
Q: Will the sale be permissible in Shari’ah if I give a free cellphone cover to every customer who buys a cellphone?
Q: I run a cellphone counter in town. Sometimes I sell a phone to a customer and he changes his mind after a few days and comes to return it. If he also returns the original packaging with the phone, I put the phone back in the box and re-sell it as a new phone. Is this permissible in Islam?
Q: The stock, fittings, etc. in my business are worth R300 000. Is it permissible for me to charge R50 000 goodwill and sell my business for R350 000?