Trade

Q: Please advise if this was a valid transaction and if the buyer did anything wrong? A product was on sale, the buyer contacted the seller, a special price was made, there were only 2 products left but they had agreed a price and that the buyer will take it. Delivery address etc was confirmed and that the buyer would do the EFT tomorrow. The seller then emailed last minute to say that the units are sold and he is sorry. 1) Is it permissible for him to do this? The buyer then emailed the head office of the company in the USA with a complaint against the local dealer. The head office must have jacked up the seller, because now he contacted the buyer to go ahead with the sale 2) Was this permissible for the buyer to do, or was this forcing the seller into a sale unwillingly?

Q: I buy burqas from south africa to sell it back in my country. Not in a shop but personally. Now the law at the airport in my country is that if we bring any types of items for sale we should declare it and pay a tax on it (if they allow us to take it back from them). If i do not declare as such and sell them will the income that i will receive halaal?

Q: Mohammed and Abdul Kader own a business property on a 50/50 basis. Mohammed offers to sell 50% of his portion of the property to Abdul Kader for R1 250 000.00 which was to be paid cash. Abdul Kader accepts the offer but doesn't pay a cent. Is the sale complete? If Abdul Kader didn't pay, is Mohammed entitled to the rentals? Can Abdul Kader say that he is paying terms when the term period was not fixed or arranged with Mohammed?

Q: My friend wanted to start a business of hukkah parlor. Is it permissible or not?

Q: I sometimes need to buy something but don’t have the cash on me. Can I buy the goods on credit? If yes, are there any conditions to adhere to?

Q: Please advise if the sale of the following is permissible and the income halaal:

1. Recipe books that contain some recipes with haraam items listed as ingredients, like pork or wine.

2. Medical books that contain some haraam treatments/methods. For example, in addition to all permissible things, a book with a chapter on yoga.

3. Books on topics like "Productivity","Leadership Skills", "Having a better life", "How to raise children" etc. written by kuffar and with their ideologies.

4. Sporting equipment like cricket bats, soccer-balls, surfboards, table-tennis tables, dart boards etc.

5. Items with the flag of a non-Muslim country on it. For example, a cell phone cover, a key ring, a sandal etc.

6. Purely futile and useless items, like decorative vases, expensive ornaments, doilies etc.

7. A person points out that many Deobandi Masaajid have TV's installed for Salaah times and notices. He says that when such high ranking 'Ulama have allowed TV's to be put up in the Masjid, and we do not see any other Ulama objecting to it (and also Ulama continue giving bayaans and having programs at such Masaajid) then it is therefore permissible for one to sell TV's. He adds that if Masjid funds can be used to buy a TV to put up in a Masjid, then why can't he sell TV's as the dual purpose of the TV is now clear with its incorporation in even the Masjid. Is this correct?

Q: I have a supermarket and I am a retailer of basic food and groceries. I would like to know if it is permissible for me to sell any pet food (dogs and cats) as none of the variants (tin or dry) are halaal certified. Also as a pet owner, is it permissible for me to store and feed my pets these meals (dry or in a can)?

Q:

1. Say I place advertisements for commodities that I do not have possession of. The advert will not mention that I do not currently possess such items. Anyone seeing the advert the will be given the impression that I do possess such items, but no lie/deception will take place. Then when customers contact regarding these products I will take down their orders, but not take payment. Only once I purchase and physically possess these items from my supplier, I will then contact the customers regarding payment. Is this manner of advertising commodities that I do not have possession of permissible?

2. After paying the supplier for the product, the supplier sends it to me via a courier company. Whilst this product is still travelling to me across the country in the possession of the courier company, but nevertheless after I have paid for the product, can I sell such a product to a customer?

Q: A layperson says that even though copyright is haraam, it is nevertheless unethical and against Islamic spirit to copy and freely distribute copyright materials. As in doing so, the company that had produced such copyrighted material in fact loses large numbers of potential customers who had rather opted for the free, pirated copy instead. He says that such behaviour is Islamically unethical as many companies are being deprived of business and customers. His issue is not with copyright, but with those people who freely distribute otherwise costly copyrighted materiel or resell it cheaply. His says such people are unethical and un-Islamic in spirit - but not that there actions are impermissible. He then cites a 2010 report that claims the global loss to software piracy is over $50 billion as a support of his argument. Is there any substance to his claims on the basis of taqwa, ethics, and Islamic spirit?

Q: Can I write articles and sell it by taking it from the web and books?