Business and Dealings

Q: I have a friend who makes investments with various investors' money and gives a percentage of the profits to the investors. 

This friend approached me and asked for some money to invest. He informed me this time that the investment would be made by a third party, and when that third party have the profits of my money, he would keep 40% and give me the remaining 60%, and I agreed. The partnership went on for some time, but the third party stopped giving the profits and isn't even returning the capital. 

My question is whether I could claim from my friend and hold him responsible for paying the debt, since he was the one who took the money from me. 

This friend of mine had a check as collateral given by the third party. He let the time pass before he could claim from the authorities using the collateral check. So there was some negligence in his side as well.

Q: I heard someone say that in Islam, it’s permissible to bet on yourself in a foot race against another person and whoever loses must pay the other the staked amount. This doesn’t sound right. Please advise. 

Q: If I am cheating in my exam fully, after getting a degree, if I apply for a job which requires the degree to sit in a company and if I get the job based on my skills, will I take someone else's huqooq away?

Q: My daughter works in a health company. Few days back one of her colleagues asked for 1000 dirhams from each person to give daman company and in return they will get 2500 all together. So she also gave without thinking how this works. Later when asked, we came to know that it’s a reimbursement of a fake bill of Ayurvedic treatment which is included in her insurance card but she didn’t actually do any such treatment. Now it’s time to get the given 1000 dhs plus extra 1500 dhs (reimbursement).

Is it permitted in Islam to use that money? What do I do?

Q: There were two brothers owning a business 50% each. One brother passed away, they distributed the inheritance of the business in percentages. e.g. 10 percentage to one person, another 5 percent to another and in this way they continued to receive a profit from the business. Now, the other brother wants to forcefully buy out the other portion which belongs to the deceased brothers children and wife. 

1. Is it permissible to distribute the inheritance in this way that without dissolving the business people are giving a share? 

2. Can the brother forcefully buy the other portion of the business?