Business and Dealings

Asking family or friends to assist one with an interest free loan

Q: I am currently working and looking to buy a car. I am unable to buy it in cash. I have made many attempts for Muslim car dealers to try and purchase the car on credit without interest or going through bank finance. All of them rejected. 

I have even proved that I am able to pay it off comfortably with my salary. 

I have went to almost every Muslim dealership and all have rejected. 

I am able to get a car on bank finance but I do not wish to because of the interest. 

Is there any other way of doing it? Is there any other alternative to this?

Accumulating interest money with the intention of using it later

Q: Previously I should donate any interest accrued monthly. 

My father said I rather keep it because he will be buying a big property within a year or two, and we can use the interest for paying the property taxes, municipal rates, etc. which are exorbitant. 

Would this be okay - to withhold the interest for sometime with the intention of paying taxes?

Gifting a piece of land to one's wife without transferring it legally

Q: I own a piece of land that I purchased. I would like to transfer it to my wife's name, but I am unable to do so at the moment because I don’t have the funds to cover the expenses. My questions are: 

1. If I verbally inform my wife that I am giving her this land, would this transfer be legally valid even though the documents are still in my name? 

2. If this verbal transfer is valid, can I inform my parents and siblings that the land belongs to my wife? I have no children, and I want to ensure that they have no claim to it in case I pass away. 

3. Transferring property can sometimes take a long time. Is it possible for me to create a will with a notary to address this matter? 

Claiming benefits from the government

Q: My friend's mother was a victim of domestic abuse. She separated from her ex husband and applied for benefits in UK. In UK, you have to tell the state if you have any property abroad. She has a house and land abroad but she did not mention it to benefits at that time maybe due to distress or confusion, etc. 

Anyways, now after a few years she has realized she did not give the correct info to benefits. She was told if she reports herself to state then she will get her benefits cut or she may not get benefits for 3 years. She may end up going to prison and will have to return some or all the money she took from state. 

She cares for 2 disabled children and she also herself is ill. If her benefits stop, she will be in great hardship. 

She is thinking of taking her part of inheritance from the home and land and donating it. Would that suffice? 

Is it ok if she doesn't tell the state about her mistake because if she does then the consequences are too dire? 

Can she continue to claim benefits on false info? If she can't claim, she will end up in very hard circumstances. 

Her son also claims benefits and he also never told the state about this but he said he will only inherit property and land after his mother passes away. So he has no right over that property. So he does not have to declare that. Is his take correct? 

What should this family do in this situation?

Selling a product that is out of stock

Q: 

1. If a customer was to order something that the business didn't own (it wasn't in stock) and rather than paying full price on it, they agreed to put a deposit down and pay full price after the product was delivered to their house and it was fitted into their house (fitting is a separate service and a customer can order a product and request fitting it into their house or they can order a product with the fitting service together). 

Would the income be halal for this? The product will be delivered to the shop first and then the business will send the product to the customers house and fit it. 

2. If you tell a customer that the product isn't in stock and they have to order it in and if they do, they don’t have to pay full price, rather just a deposit and then when the product is delivered to their house or ready to collect from the businesses store, they can pay full price after that, is the income halal?

Verbally giving someone a gift

Q: If a person intends to gift a certain amount of money, around USD 100, to someone when he verbally made a certain statement saying that he has gifted USD 100 to the giftee with the intention of relinquishing his entire right of ownership, granting control to the giftee and spending money in whichever way she pleases on the amount of USD 100, but does not physically hand over the money to the person who is meant to be the giftee. 

Will such a process of gift be considered completed or not?

Purchasing items with U Count points and giving it in charity

Q: I have the following queries regarding the U Count rewards from Standard Bank. I do earn these points but do not use them as per your previous fataawa that I read on your website. 

My questions are as follows: 

1. Can I purchase items from the U Count participating retailers e.g. Makro and give these items to my helper who is a non-Muslim or any Muslim person or any Muslim organization e.g. a Muslim orphanage? 

2. Can I purchase items for me e.g. R1000.00 using the points and then take R1000 in cash and give it away to any Muslim, non-Muslim or any Muslim organization?