Business and Dealings

Provident fund from the government

Q: I live in Pakistan and my father is a govt servent. He is about to retire and at retirement the govt gives alot of money as provident fund. This money is actually a combination of 3 things.

1. It cuts from monthly salary for over 25 years.
2. Each month govt adds some amount to this monthly.
3. Bank adds up interest and that I also added to the amount

At retirenment all these amounts add up and given to the employee. So is it halal to do hajj with this money?

Cash backs and discounts when using a credit card

Q: A few months ago, a technology company that makes and profits off smartphones and other devices (Apple) partnered with a US bank to offer a credit card.

The bank is responsible for all of the banking aspects, and the credit card is like any other one from a consumer perspective, offering cashbacks and rewards for certain purchases. However, these rewards are decided by the technology company, not the bank, such as discounts when purchasing that company's own products.

Given the the card is offered by a technology company, it's possible that the company pays for the difference instead of the bank. This would mean that unlike traditional cards, this one may not be paying for the discounts using interest earnings. Would using the benefits of this credit card be permissible?

Paying for a service

Q: I work in a hospital in the UK and applied for a parking permit - I have to pay every month to park my car at the hospital. When my wage came, I realised the charges for parking were not being taken from my wages so I contacted them twice. They assured me that they had my account details and money would be taken.

A few months later I realised again no charges for parking were taken so I took no further action and left it because I thought I've contacted them twice and done what I could. But now I have a guilty feeling and think maybe I should have contacted them again until they took the money. Do I have to pay them back or pay the amount to charity? and am I at fault?