Business and Dealings

Q: I purchased a second hand aircon from a fellow Muslim brother. He promised me that its works perfectly. I took his word on it and paid him R2000.00 to install it. R1500 for the unit and R500 for installation. However the aircon did not work from day 1. I kept on messaging him for 2 months that its not working but he kept insisting it is and he continued ignoring my messages. I got fed-up and asked him to please remove it as its not working. Without my knowledge he came to the house after the 2 month period when my dad was there to repair it, and he admitted to my dad its not working. He said he will bring the parts to repair however I told him to remove it. He then took 3 weeks to come and remove it and told my dad he will do a bank transfer for the refund. A week later after messages after messages he only refunds me R1000.00 and tells me that because of his time and labour he is only refunding half my money. When I explained to him the unit costs R1500.00 as per his invoice he said no the unit was R1000.00 but when I sent him a picture of his invoice he admitted its R1500.00 and he will only refund the R500.00. It is now gone a week and he has gone back to ignoring my messages and no refund has been received. I ask you respected mufti, what must the total refund be? Should it not be for the full R2000.00 because the aircon did not work at all. Can I lay a charge of theft against this person.

Q: I reside with my father as I have not yet finished school. A few times I slipped up and took some money of my fathers without him knowing. I do not have that amount of money to replace it and he is unaware of it. What should I do? Am I compelled to tell him and to pay him back?

Q: Our community bank offers Shari’ah compliant home financing which is structured as follows:

1) The Muslim buyer will select the property and the bank will purchase it with a contract for immediate resale to the Muslim purchaser for a fixed amount that will include the bank’s profit.

2) The Muslim buyer will be given a fixed price that will not vary with interest rates.

3) The Muslim buyer will have to sign a contract to buy the house from the bank before the bank purchases the property from the original seller.

4) The bank states that they will take a loan on which they pay interest from a secondary source to finance such a purchase. 

5) The bank states that the buyer will have to insure the property.

Is this form of finance permissible and Shari’ah compliant?

Q: Is a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) halaal?

Q: I'm planning to enter a skit competition and I'm planning to use copyrighted music in the skit. If I do win the competition, Is the money I've won considered as haraam?

Q: I would like to know that in the Hanafi madhab, eating of lobster is not allowed. So is it permissible for a hanafi to trade (buy and sell) lobster?

Q: Is it permissible to take extra amount on mobile load. Also is it permissible to take extra amount on utility bill payment. Explanation: Today we see every mobile load shopkeeper takes 1 rupee extra on mobile load. Like if we want to load 30 rupees, loader gets 32 rupees and loads 30 rupees. Will this extra two rupees be sood or not?

Q: In the United Kingdom, the new £5 notes have become quite popular and are being sold because of serial numbers such as AK47 and AAA, etc. Is it permissible to sell these £5 notes for more than £5?

Q: We have a company and an employee went on vacation. Upon his Return, before coming back to the office, he met another employee who told Him that he has been fired. This was incorrect information and hence the Employee (who returned from vacation) didn't show up to the office yet. We are investigating this further to validate if the second employee did or did not pass on the false message of being fired. If this turns out to be true, what should be our action on it?

Q: I have a shop in Karachi. A friend of mine has opened a business in the shop. I did not agree to sharing the profit but agreed that he pays a nominal rent until the shop goes in profit. He is paying is this nominal rent. But he keeps saying that we should agree on some deal that relates to the profit in the business. A suggestion is that instead of 'ijareh I become a partner in business. Can I consider the shop as investment from my side equal to the market price of the shop? He also has invested in the shop. So is it jaíz if we make a deal that 60% of the total profit will be for his efforts paid to him and the remaining 40% will be divided based on the investment of each of us?