Business and Dealings

Q: I would like for a detailed explanation to hand to my manager. 

I started working for a company and they asked me the other day if I could help set up for a meeting. I said sure but I’m not touching the food as it was meat etc. bought from woolies which is haraam. They said okay that’s fine but I said I would put the fruit in the bowl because I’m allowed to eat that and it’s not haraam. 

After the meeting was over I was called in by my manager and she said that it’s my job to do it so isn’t there another way, but I don’t want to touch this haraam food because I never have and I don’t want to compromise my religion. 

Also an important thing to note is that there are two Muslim ladies at the work and they do not wear hijab, they allow the men to touch and hug them and they touch this haraam meat and just wash their hands after but I do not do this and don’t want to do it. So I think they probably think I’m being a snob and trying to get out of doing my job but that is not the case. 

Please can you give me a detailed explanation so that I can provide them with the proper reasonings so I don’t ever have to touch the haraam meat even with the gloves.

Q: Is it permissible to bypass an estate agent in purchasing a property? 

Example, I see a property for sale on their website/see their board outside the property. I then go directly to the seller and do a private deal with them, to avoid getting the estate agent involved and to avoid paying them commission. Is this permissible?

Q: If a person owned a leather jacket and found out it was made from pig skin, can that jacket be sold to a non-Muslim and the funds be used to purchase another item?

Q: I work as a programmer for a company that has multiple customers like jet, Edgar's, Pep, Hollard, etc. 

Whatever the client requires, we create a program for it. 

One of our biggest systems is to create and maintain a program that allows Hollard to keep track of their customers insurance products and payments. We do not gain an income from the insurance payments but they pay us an admin fee for the use of the system. Is this considered a halaal income?

Q: Taking the current situation of the Muslims in Palestine into consideration, should we be boycotting items like Coke, etc.?

Q: In some businesses it is common practice to special order an item for a customer, when it is not in stock, by taking a non-refundable deposit, e.g., 25% or 50%. At times the following situations arise after the item is purchased from the supplier and it arrives: 

1. The customer pays the balance and the sale is concluded. 

2. The customer changes their mind and then wants a refund, which is refused because the item was specially ordered. 

Is it permissible to conduct business in this manner?

Q: I would like to enquire regarding the Shar’ee ruling of a certain business scheme that is currently being promoted in many places of this country and in other countries as well. The scheme operates under the name “Qnet.” I will explain how this scheme works through an example: 

Zaid purchases a watch from Qnet for the amount of R40,000. However, this type of watch is normally sold for approximately R1,000 in the general market. The only reason why Zaid purchases this watch at such an inflated price is to gain entry into the Qnet business scheme and start earning profits. 

Zaid then refers others (Bakr, Khalid, and Qaasim) to also purchase a watch from Qnet at a similar inflated price. Once these individuals make their purchases of the watches, Zaid immediately receives a commission for referring them. 

Subsequently, Bakr, Khalid, and Qaasim each proceed to recruit five more individuals to the Qnet scheme. When these new recruits make purchases from Qnet, Zaid, as well as Bakr, Khalid, and Qaasim, respectively, receive further commission based on these purchases. Though Zaid did not make any effort in getting the five more individuals to purchase and join Qnet, he receives a commission from their purchases. 

Each of these five individuals will then get ten more people to purchase from Qnet. When these fifty new people purchase from Qnet, then Zaid, Bakr, Khalid and Qaasim as well as the five individuals respectively will receive commission from the fifty new people. This chain will continue down the line and those on top will continue receiving commission from the transactions that take place at the bottom, even though they do not make any effort. 

Is participation in such a business scheme permissible in Islam?

Q: In the case of a transfer of ownership of a property, can interest be used to pay the transfer duties (to SARS)?

Q: Is it permissible to sell collectable cards, such as soccer cards, Pokémon, etc. Also video games disks, etc.