Business and Dealings

Khiyaarur ruyat (the option of buying or returning an item) for defective items on online purchases

Q: I humbly request your guidance and a detailed, evidence-based response regarding the following scenario: 

Our business sells pharmaceutical machines and occasionally encounters defective units. When a unit is defective, we explicitly inform potential buyers of the defect, share photos of it, and sell the machine at a discounted price. Despite being made aware of the defect, some clients later refuse to pay, citing the defect as the cause. Additionally, we sell various other electronic items through our online store. 

In light of this, we request clarification on the following points: 

1. Seller’s Obligation to Accept Returns: If the buyer refuses to pay or wants to return the machine on the basis of a disclosed defect, is the seller Islamically obliged to accept the return and refund the buyer? 

2. Application of Khiyar-ur-Ruyah: Does khiyar-ur-ruyah (the option to inspect goods before finalizing a sale) apply to pharmaceutical machines sold with clearly disclosed defects? 

3. Khiyar-ur-Ruyah in Online Sales: Does khiyar-ur-ruyah generally extend to products purchased online, where the buyer may only see images rather than physically inspecting the item prior to purchase? 

Earnings of a person selling Christmas trees and related products

Q: My brother sells Christmas trees, Christmas related products on which happy Christmas is written and he paid my education fee. 

Will my income be halaal if i use the knowledge as a job or business that I get from my education and can I live in his house that he made from this money? 

Also, he gave me a laptop that he bought from that money and I work on the laptop as a freelancer. I use the Internet on this laptop and he also pays the bill of this Internet from that money. Will my income be halaal that I make from that money?

Earning by helping university students write their assignments, reports and research papers.

Q: I am a single mother (not divorced) living with my parents. I do not pay rent or utility bills, but I manage all other expenses for myself and my baby, including food, clothes, diapers, milk, etc. 

The baby’s father sends a small amount (around 20,000 PKR) monthly — sometimes not even that. 

I work from home and earn about 1.5 lakh PKR per month by helping university students write their assignments, reports, and research papers. I use tools like ChatGPT to generate answers and then rephrase the content using other software. I work very hard and honestly, but now I’m very worried: Is this income halal or haram in Islam? 

I want to raise my son as a Hafiz-e-Quran and a good Muslim. I don’t want to feed him with haram money, but this is the only source of income I have right now. I am very stressed and confused. Please guide me according to Islamic teachings.