Business and Dealings

Earning online through Link Shortener sites

Q: My question is about online earning. Is earning with Link Shortener sites halaal?

Link Shortener sites shorten our links and put ads on it. Whenever someone click on that link, he first see's ads then he goes to the real site. These sites put ads on our links and pay us. When people see the ads, it makes revenue and sites share revenue with us. So is this earning halal or haram?

Nephews asking for their share in a family business

Q: I have one issue being raised in our family regarding the share in a family business.

I will tell you a short introduction about the business condition.

I am the elder son in my family. My father wants to resolve this issue on behalf of our family and my cousins. My father has 5 brothers and my late grand father passed away about 20 year ago. Afterwards, all the brothers joined the business equally. No one withdrew their share from the business. Every expense was mutual and every purchase was mutual. Both my uncles and my father's sons are included in the business some years after the death of my grandfather.

As we and our cousins were young and mature when joining, later we put our efforts and experience in the family business at the same level as our uncles were doing. Only two elder brother's sons are in the family business.

One thing to note is that my uncles did not agree to do other business because they only agreed to expand the family business.

One of my cousins has 4 sons and he wants to separate the business but now my uncles (my father's brothers) are saying that my cousin has no share in the business because he was included in the family business on behalf of his father. Everyone can see my cousin's and my brother's efforts and the expansion they made to the family business and that effort was not possible by any employee.

We gave new ideas of doing business which was successful for the expansion of the business. We made new businesses and branches in profit running positions.

My uncles are denying our efforts that we did in the business and they are saying that we, the cousins have no share in the business because it was 5 brothers who were partners in the business.

Please note: My cousins gave 20 years in the business and my brothers gave 16 years in the business.

Please tell us if we are eligible to ask for our share from the business and if so, what is the Islamic ruling in this condition. They used us for so long in the business and we never thought that we were not part of the family business. We were doing all this effort for them only.

Are the 5 brothers the only shareholders? Two of them joined the business at the same age when one of my cousins joined the business because they are about same age. All the brothers are still in a working position and active members in the business, none of them are sleeping partners. My father has done more than his share and is still working.

Disposing of interest money accumulated by a body corporate

Q: I would like to query the issue below:

I am part of a body corporate of a complex based. The body corporate has been in place for about +/- 12 years and it has been run by the Muslim men of the complex. The complex comprises of various owners, Muslim and non-Muslim.

We have recently moved our banking over to FNB Islamic banking. Prior to this, we have accumulated an amount of +/- R22 000 interest money which we had kept aside after the move to Islamic banking. The body corporate is non-profit and we only act in the best interest and upkeep of the complex.

We as the body corporate would like to query if it is permissible or not to use this interest money as this money belongs to the complex which comprises of Muslim and non Muslim owners. We as the body corporate are held liable for the money of the complex.

The investment account which the interest was accumulated from was only opened as this is a law according to the CSOS act which is government regulated.

Please advise the correct manner/s in which this interest money should be dealt as we would like to make the correct decision going forward.

Four people staying in a room which was booked for two people

Q: I stayed with friends at a rented accomodation where in the agreement, only 2 people are allowed to stay each night for around 100$ per night. However, we lied to the owner and agreed that only 2 people will stay while actually 4 people stayed. We didnt think this was wrong since we would only use the accomodation for sleeping and wanted to save money. So technically we broke the agreement and cheated the owner.

What is the best way to fix this as we are afraid that in the akhirah, we will be punished, since we used his property not according to the agreement. If we reach out to him, he may take action against us so we are afraid. Could we pay him the money for the 2 extra people (we assume it will be 50$ per night per person) and give it to him anonymously? Or can we just donate this amount to chairty because we are afraid to tell him.

Receiving cash back or discounts when purchasing with a credit card

Q:

1. When purchasing goods via a credit card, I received 1 rupee on every purchase of 200 rupees. Is this permissible or not?

2. Different offers are available on credit card and easy paisa accounts everyday. If we purchase and make some payments and order some food via the credit card and easy paisa account, then we will receive a special discount or cash back. Is this permissible or not?

If this is "sood" then what is best use of this amount.

Insurance, medical aid and using banks in Western countries

Q:

1. Are all forms of insurance haraam in the west? If a person doesn’t have car insurance in a western country and they have an accident, they have to pay $10,000 to cover the costs of not only their own vehicle but the other vehicle if it is their fault? Where can a Muslim who doesn’t have insurance, get all that money from?

2. Is medical/dental insurance haraam in the west? There are Muslims in the west that live with their elderly parents and they always have to go to hospital and if they didn’t have medical insurance, they would have to pay so much thousands of dollars of money that they simply wouldn’t have it. Where would they go to get their medical treatment. Would they do nothing?

3. Many people say that when you earn money in the west and go to banks to withdraw that money, that money is interest money which the bank runs on so you can’t do anything?

Paying back a loan in a different currency

Q: I gave a loan of 200 dollars to my friend a few years ago. I had these dollars from my aunt who gave them to me to deposit in my bank account. Now my friend is returning the amount to me but there is an issue, at that time it was equal to 105 Pakistani rupees per dollar... now it is 141 Pakistani rupees per dollar. 

At what rate should he return this amount to me? If I take it at 141 rupees, he will have to pay extra (from 105/$ to 141/$) to make it equal to 200 dollars and if I take money it at the rate of 105 per dollar I will get a lesser amount. Kindly guide me what to do.

Buying and selling plot files

Q: I want to ask if it is allowed to sell and purchase plot files? The housing society is still underdevelopment and possession of plots is not given to file holders.

(The file is a document issued by a housing scheme developer, against which one can claim a piece of land/plot once development is done, and possession started by the developer)