Business and Dealings

Q: Could Mufti please provide clarity on the following: A widow has 4 daughters, 1 half brother and 1 half sister.

1. Can she draw up an agreement, while she is alive that once she dies, her wealth goes to her four daughters only?

2. Can she leave her money in the bank, give it to her daughter's, but use it in a case of an emergency and also collect the returns, but her daughter's will only have access to the money once she dies?

3. Does she have to actually give the money to the daughters now, and have no access or rights over it, if she wants to only give it to her daughter's?

4. If she leaves the money in the bank, how does the estate have to be divided once she dies?

5. If one of her daughter's die before her, can the children of that particular daughter still have their mothers share? If so how should it be done?

Q:

1) We have customers who buy on credit. Is it permissible for us to tell them that we will give them a discount if they pay before the due date? For example, the customer purchases goods worth R100 000 on a three month credit basis. The customer is told, “If you pay within one month, you will receive a 10% discount”. Is this permissible?

2) I owe someone money through a cash sale, and there were no terms given for payment. If I ask the seller for a discount saying, "If I pay you tomorrow, will you give me a discount? From R10 000, will you make it R9 000?" and he accepts to give me a discount, will it be permissible?

Q: What is the status of an investment where the profit is fixed according to the investment amount?

Example - If I invest R10 000 in "ABC INVESTMENTS" and they promise me a return of R500 monthly. Will such an investment be permissible?

If not, what should I do with the money that has been received as pay outs thus far?

Q: Myself and my cousin own a joint business venture. Our ownership and profit sharing percentage is 50/50. Can I bring my son into the business by selling him 10% of my shareholding? Do I need my partner's permission for this or not? 

Q: I am working at a retail store as a cashier. The store also sells beer and pork and other meats... I only scan the item. Is my income haram?

I also have another job offer at a pizza restaurant that sells pizzas with toppings including chicken and bacon. Which is a better job for me? 

Q: My brother took a loan from me for 2-3 days by telling me that he needs the money urgently and he had sold his shop and would get money in 2-3 days and pay me. But he was lying to me. He was under heavy debt taken from many people and was not selling his shop (I don't know if he had a shop at all). He just wanted to take money from me.

Four years have passed and he has not returned a single penny. Had he told me the truth, I would have given him only a small amount of money as a loan, and not all my money from which I was making my earning. Now he is expecting to receive some money (about 25% of my loan) but he refused to pay me. The reason is that he wants to educate his daughter at a medical college and needed money for her.

My question is: If my brother gets any money, is he obliged to educate his children first or pay my loan first? He argues that his children are his responsibility. My argument is that I gave him all my money I was using to earn a living for my children.

Q: Will it be permissible to spend on your mother on Yaumul Aashuraa? 

Q: I am a businessman from Pakistan. I was looking into a new business opportunity which is in the kids entertainment industry. I was keen to know whether this sort of business is halal or not.

Basically we are looking into opening a kids play area which will have a softplay area and will have a few games like sports e.g. rock climbing or similar games. Mainly our focus will be kids of all ages but we are expecting teenage girls and boys as well. We won't be able to segregate the play areas.

Secondly, we might also have video games which include cartoon characters and some small rides for kids which are shaped as animals or cartoon characters. I am fully aware that music is haram so we are not planning to use any kind of music in the background.

Q: Is it permissible for a Muslim to sell hot cross buns in his store?