Business and Dealings

Q: Is working as a timetable planner within a rail freight company permissible? I’m not sure if they handle haraam goods. The company is GB Rail Freight. Is it better to avoid?

Q: I am using government electricity. The government charges on electricity are very unfair since the area where I stay is a bit of a rich people area. They charge us more whereas electricity in the surroundings/other areas is much cheaper. So thats why I decided to slow down my prepaid meter. Is it right/permitted in Islam?

Q: Is it permissible in Islam to research banking and financial sector? I am currently researching how bank management and governance structures influence the profitability of banks. I also want to publish my research paper at the end. Is it halaal or haraam?

Q: We have recently received stock of an Islamic toy which we were unaware had music... The toy has many beneficial learning pages such as duas, surahs, Arabic alphabets, etc. but there is a button which plays nasheeds with musical instruments in the background.

Will it be permissible to sell such a toy? If the toy is sold with a note on how to remove the music and if the customer purchases it and chooses not to remove the music wire, will the seller be sinful?

Q: Yusuf is going shopping. So his friend Umar asks Yusuf to buy something for him and he will pay Yusuf later. Yusuf ends up getting a big discount.

Must Umar pay him the normal price or the discounted price?

Q: Whenever I take my son (2.5 years old) to the mall with my family for shopping, he always tantrums and cries to buy expensive cars (500 USD). If I have to take a small cheap car for him, he is never satisfied and sometimes he reminds me at home with a sad face. Alhamdulillah, my financial position is sound and I can afford to buy it. What is the Islamic ruling?

Q: Please advise on the following:

A Muslim optometrist is having a problem with unqualified people smuggling fake designer frames into the country. These people send their customers to professional optometrists for eye tests and they ask for a script. Then they have their glasses made at a reduced cost by the "pirate" dealer.

Is it Islamically correct to have these types of crooks reported to the authorities? Some are Muslims and some are Non-Muslims.

Q: We buy some property. One partner only gives 10 lacs while others give 50 lacs. Before selling the property we say to 10 lac partner that we will give you 20000. After selling the property we give him 20000 to him. We fixed the amount before selling the property. Is it halaal or sood?

Q: I have a savings account in a bank. Someone transferred extra money which does not belong to me into my account. I enquired alot from the bank but they told me that it was from some government court. I called the bank more than 5 times and told them that I have no encounter with the court. They cannot do anything or provide any information. I waited for a long time for the owner to claim their money or contact me but unfortunately nobody claimed it. I'm in need of money for my marriage but my heart does not allow me to touch that amount. Please tell me if the amount is haraam or halaal if I spend it?

Q: Is it permissible for an employee to claim from the UIF Fund or is it like an insurance plan? Kindly explain the status of this fund.