Business and Dealings

Q: I have purchased tomato sauce for resale; however, the tomato sauce is past the manufacturer’s best before date. I am in the food industry for the past 20 years and I know that the tomato sauce will not go bad by the date reflected by the manufacturer. In fact, the item is still good for another one year after the best before date. I wish to get the item tested by an independent food technologist and then adjust the date on the packaging to the date the independent food technologist recommends. Will it be permissible for me to adjust the date or will this fall under deception?

Q: If it is merely suspected that a tenant buys and sells stolen goods, is it incumbent on the landlord to terminate that tenant’s tenancy?

Q: I'm a private tutor. Sometimes I can not deliver my 100% to my work. Now is my salary halal or haram?

Q: A person has an investment in a unit trust from the 1970's. The unit trust was not shariah compliant, and thus included investments in alcohol/gambling based companies, interest based financial institutions, as well as ordinary companies.

1. Is it permissible to utilise dividends received from the unit trust to pay income tax for a business?

2. Is it permissible to offset these dividends received from the unit trust against income tax that is deducted from a persons salary by his employer? If this is permissible, can it be offset against amounts deducted for income tax in previous years (as the dividends were already received then, and tax deducted then), or would it only be permissible going forward (as dividends are received and income tax deducted)?

Q:

1. Some one is on rent and they are still on rent and he has sold his house for 27 lacs and he has not still enough money to purchase a house in which all family members be settled. And now he is trying to purchase a house in a sense so that he can fulfil his current financial problems (for giving current rent in which they are still living), through rent income. It is permissible in Islam to purchase a house and allow it on rent , the income of this house is use for the rent of a house in which someone is rented.

2. It is permissible in Islam to invest the payment of sold house in a National savings centre in that sense to gain the fixed amount for a month (e.g. 9000) so some one can fulfil his financial problems (for giving current rent in which they are still living).

Q: I have been investing in shares for the past two years and I have earned a good amount of profit so far. When investing, I avoid buying shares in companies such as banks, insurance companies, companies manufacturing and selling liquor, etc. I only invest in companies of which the main business is halaal. However, when I look at the financial statements of the companies, I find that these companies do have interest dealings and some other haraam elements in their operation. Will it be permissible for me to invest in these companies? Also, will the profits earned through the investment be halaal?

Q: I have both a current account as well as a savings account at a bank. The savings account is interest-bearing.

In disposing of the interest earned on the savings account, can the interest amount be paid out of the current account or can it only be paid out of the savings account as the interest was earned on this account?

Q: I have been investing in shares since the past two years and i've earned good amounts of profit so far. I have been investing keeping in mind these points most contemporary scholars including Mufti Taqi Usmani have agreed upon which are:

1) The main business of the company must be lawful (halal). Therefore, to purchase shares of a company whose main business is unlawful, such as interest bearing banks, insurance companies, companies manufacturing and selling liquor, etc would not be permitted.

2) Many companies, despite their main business being Halal may be involved in interest dealings in one way or another. Due to this, the following is necessary:

a) One should object to the interest dealings, preferably in the annual AGM. By doing so, the responsibility will be deemed fulfilled.

b) When the dividend is distributed, the proportion of the company’s income which was gained by interest dealings must be given in charity without the intention of receiving reward, as is the case with unlawful money in general. This amount (of interest accumulation) may be known by means of the income statement.

3) The company, whose shares one intends to purchase, must have some illiquid assets in its possession. They must not all be in liquid form (i.e. cash, cheques, bonds, etc…). If all of the company’s assets are in liquid form, then the share cannot be sold or purchased except at face value.

One point among these which I haven't paid much heed to or couldn't pay heed to is:

a) One should object to the interest dealings, preferably in the annual AGM. By doing so, the responsibility will be deemed fulfilled.

This is because I live in Saudi Arabia and trade shares online in the Indian Stock Markets, which means the companies i invest in are based in India while
I am a resident of Saudi and visit India for only a month or two annually. I usually sell a company's shares within a period of 5 months. When I am in India, I won't necessarily get to attend an AGM of the companies I am invested in during that period. Even if I might, they might be in different cities.

So far, I have sold stocks of around 7 companies making a profit in 6 of them and a loss in one of them. Currently, I am invested in just one company's shares.

Will my responsibility be deemed fulfilled if I send an email to the 7 companies whose shares I've already sold off objecting their dealings in interest? Or should I give away ally my profits earned through the sale of these 6 among 7 company's shares I've already sold in charity without expecting a reward in return.

Also, how am I to deal with the current company I'm invested in, in regard to objecting their interest dealings provided the fact that I might not be able to attend their AGM?

Q: How to get rid of haraam money? Should I give this money to poor or needy relatives?

Q: In India we have to pay house tax every year, so can we pay this tax using interest (riba) money?