Business and Dealings

Q: I was offered to be a clown for a day. Is it permissible?

Q: An apa teaches some kids for free. It was made clear also that no gifts will be accepted. One of the students mother is an optometrist, who the apa uses. Apa insists on her taking payment for the glasses etc but she refuses, probably based on the fact that her children are being taught maktab by the apa. Is it permissible for the apa to accept this as a gift?

Q: Can I take a pension policy from LIC?

Q: We have a bookshop selling Urdu and international novels. As you know there is romance in every novel. I want to know whether it is permissible to sell novels or not in Islam. Kindly reply in accordance with Qur'an and Ahaadith or some early scholars.

Q: My question is that we are in USA and can not buy a home on cash because it is impossible. So because of compulsion can we take a loan from the bank due to compulsion?

Q: If I have been using several versions of windows Operating systems (sometimes copies sometimes fake/cracked serial) shall I purchase individually all the copies I have used? Problem is I don't remember all the softwares I have used and for how much time I used them. Does it constitute as debt if I don't purchase all the versions of windows I have used? Thanking you in advance for your time and consideration.

Q: I worked for a debt collection agency in Qatar which dealt with defaulted Vodafone Qatar customers, my job was to collect money by calling them, my management was forcing me and everyone in the agency to abuse, threat and blackmail customers. I refused to do that hence the agency is terminating my contract and sending me back to my country, I have recorded some of these abuses made on my phone and if I send this to Vodafone UK, the company will lose their business, eventually close and lot of people will lose their jobs. Would it be right Islamically for me to do this as they are involved in illegal work or do I have to just forgive them and move on? Please shed some light this matter please.

Q: I work in a warehouse that has gift hampers. Is it permissible to gift wrap items that has alcohol bottles in them?

Q: My employer had gifted me shares as part of a BEE structure. E.g. 1000 I was not asked to pay anything and the shares were free. The company gave me the shares at a price (say R50) and at vesting date the share price is (R100). The difference is for my personal benefit, say (R50), What is the ruling on such? The company is a bank. Is zakaat calculated on the price at which it was issued or at current market prices?

Q: My wife bought a painting from someone which was still to be painted. She was given a description of what the painting would look like but she didn’t see it. She also didn’t know what the size of the painting would be. Also, when my wife enquired regarding the price, she was told, ‘‘Don’t worry. You don’t need to pay me.’’ After a few days, my wife asked the lady if she had started with the painting. She said, ‘‘No’’. So my wife told her that she no longer wanted the painting.

Two weeks later, the lady brought the painting and asked her to pay for it. My wife paid her because she didn’t want to cause problems. Besides not liking the painting, it was also too expensive. My questions are:

1. What is the condition of this transaction?

2. If the transaction is not correct, what is the way out?