Business and Dealings

Q: Please advise if it is permissible to invest in gold stocks for companies owning gold mines, gold mutual funds, exchange traded funds or does one need to physically have the gold in one's possession?

Q: I bought a property from friend. We agreed to close our deal a year later. I paid him 40,0000 $ advanced. We signed a legal binding agreement. All good. After one year I asked to close our deal and he started asking more money. Property value gone up. I told him no, you are breaking your promise and agreement. He put pressure on me. Literally black mailing me. Otherwise I go to court and suffer more financial hardship. I surrender and promise verbally to pay 40k extra by taking a loan and paying him off. Now the deal is closed and I feel I should not give extra money that I don't even have but I feel bad that I am breaking my promise. Also I felt I was cornered. Please help me what should I do?

Q: A person wishes to purchase some goods from a certain furniture store but does not have the money at present. The seller tells him that he can buy the furniture on lay-by. Will it be permissible for him to purchase the goods on lay-by and how does lay-by actually work? Through lay-by, does one become the owner of the goods immediately or only when the goods are completely paid for?

Q: Is it permissible to work in an Islamic bank department within a conventional bank?

Q: Can I use death insurance money for yard fences and toilets? Also poor Muslims or non-Muslims?

Q: Can a Muslim use death insurance money and what can it be used for? For example if someone gives me that money, what can I do with it?

Q: I am planning to join google and the work relates to working on maps. So we may have to highlight places like Musjids, churches, malls and wine shops too. Is it allowed to mark such places in this kind of job?

Q: I work in a department store, and as part of the job we are obliged to ask customers if they want a store card, which is a credit card, and if they do, to open accounts for them. What is the ruling on credit cards, and is this work permissible?

Q: A person took his watch to a repair shop. Thereafter, the repair shop accidentally sold his watch to someone. What should now be done? Should the repair shop pay the owner the value of the watch or should they get the watch back from the customer and return it to the owner?

Q: I went to buy some jewellery. A salesman there told me that there is a scheme where I have to pay 11 instalments in advance and the 12th instalment will be paid by the jewellery company as a bonus or discount. I can then buy any gold jewellery of my choice after 11 months. Is this allowed in Islam?