Business and Dealings

Q: I have been offered a business proposal to be a shareholder in a new company by a businessman who is going to be the financier of the business. The offer is as follows:

(1) Better my current salary where I am currently working.

(2) 30% shares of the business.

He is also basing this decision on my knowledge and contacts that I have on the nature of this business. We have both agreed to have everything in writing at the right authorities. Please advise on how I should go about doing it.

Q: There are four equal partners in a building. One partner is renting a premises within this building. This partner does not want the annual increase in rental to apply to him as it applies to all the other tenants. Is it permissible for this partner to enjoy this advantage over the other partners and the other tenants?

Q: I have just engaged in seaport clearing agency insha Allah with the aim of observing Shariah and sunnah. But I'm faced with the following questions.

1. Short payment to the government custom duty is common. Is it allowed? Short payment is paying for HONDA 1999 instead of 2003. Majority are involved in this  even the custom officers overlook this.  Contracting the clearing out makes the case worse as they will hide the short payment.

2. Also in the clearing offices people pay some amount that are already normal things over there but are without receipt. Are we allowed to
pay such money when we don't have options and its already their system. eg vehicle examnation officer will not leave his office unless such amount is paid. No special treatment will be given for ones job except that its their norm.

3. Police on the way also ask for money even after you have correct papers. Can we give them money?

Q: Me and my brother take care of my uncle's family and their daily needs. My question is I get some interest from the banks on my savings. Can I use that money for managing their expenses? If yes then do I need to make some niyyah or something ?

Q: I live in India. I am a hotelier completed years diploma in 2001. Since then have been working in hotels. Alhumdulilah I have been careful not to work in any hotel which has a bar. At 2008 I gave up working at hotels and at present I teach in a culinary institute teaching front office / house keeping / environment. At the same time I also got the opportunity to be  consultant for upcoming projects (hotels/resorts). As a policy I have
Been choosy not to be involved in any hotel or resort having bar. At present I am a consultant for a resort owned by a Muslim in kerala/india, it
Does not have a bar at the same time clients very often bring their own liquor and they consume. As well group travellers who come for corporate
Meetings they too set up bar counters and consume liquor as a group. The Resort employees end up serving them and helping them to set up bar counter. The resort does not charge anything for setting up the bar or lending the Staff members. In some rare cases the clients send resort employees to fetch liquor from outside. Again the resort does not charge the client. My role normaly is to spend four full day time in the resort morning 10 a.M. To 05 A.M. and four evenings from for average of 3 hours. I streamline the operations of the resort and recruit employees and train them. I use this money from the resort to pay back the loan taken from a friend for my sisters marriage. Can you advice whether I should do it or stop as per Shar'ia?

Q: I wanted to ask a question about the job of research analyst in a stock brokerage firm or mutual fund. My degree major is finance so I want to know if working as a research analyst for any stock market company is halaal? Basically, the job is to do research on companies, look at their financial statements and analyse their performance and then give a recommendation on whether to buy the stock or sell it. I understand that investing in Shari'ah compliant stocks are allowed but I won't be investing. I'll just be researching and giving opinions. Also, I won't be researching on banks and insurance companies whose business is unlawful. So is this job halaal?

Q: Is it haram to pay interest is one is forced to? For example if the government charges you a tax penalty and includes interest in it, is it haram
for you to pay it? What if you're writing a check on someone else's behalf, is it haram for you to write it?

Q: Interest is considered to be a strong haraam and a grave sin, but isn't interest needed as a fundamental basis for starting a bank and being able to
hand out loans?

Q: Although bribes are prohibited in Islam the situation in my country is such that the government officials depend on bribes without which our work does not get done and we suffer the consciences of the work not getting done. In other words it is a ZULM on us from which we have no escape. Under these circumstances can one utilise interest money to overcome this situation. Please advice.

Q: I have made my life insurance for which I paid 100000 RS for 5 years but someone told me that it is against sharia to get insurance. Birla sun life insurance company have put my money in investment and my fund value is 565000 RS. I want to take my money out from the insurance company now my question is that profit of 65000 is valid and if it is not valid then can I take it from the insurance company and give to help my Muslim brother? If I pay it to my cousin who needs to get her kitchen done, can she use that money to build the kitchen?