Business and Dealings

Q: Can I take a pension policy from LIC?

Q: We have a bookshop selling Urdu and international novels. As you know there is romance in every novel. I want to know whether it is permissible to sell novels or not in Islam. Kindly reply in accordance with Qur'an and Ahaadith or some early scholars.

Q: My question is that we are in USA and can not buy a home on cash because it is impossible. So because of compulsion can we take a loan from the bank due to compulsion?

Q: If I have been using several versions of windows Operating systems (sometimes copies sometimes fake/cracked serial) shall I purchase individually all the copies I have used? Problem is I don't remember all the softwares I have used and for how much time I used them. Does it constitute as debt if I don't purchase all the versions of windows I have used? Thanking you in advance for your time and consideration.

Q: I worked for a debt collection agency in Qatar which dealt with defaulted Vodafone Qatar customers, my job was to collect money by calling them, my management was forcing me and everyone in the agency to abuse, threat and blackmail customers. I refused to do that hence the agency is terminating my contract and sending me back to my country, I have recorded some of these abuses made on my phone and if I send this to Vodafone UK, the company will lose their business, eventually close and lot of people will lose their jobs. Would it be right Islamically for me to do this as they are involved in illegal work or do I have to just forgive them and move on? Please shed some light this matter please.

Q: I work in a warehouse that has gift hampers. Is it permissible to gift wrap items that has alcohol bottles in them?

Q: My employer had gifted me shares as part of a BEE structure. E.g. 1000 I was not asked to pay anything and the shares were free. The company gave me the shares at a price (say R50) and at vesting date the share price is (R100). The difference is for my personal benefit, say (R50), What is the ruling on such? The company is a bank. Is zakaat calculated on the price at which it was issued or at current market prices?

Q: My wife bought a painting from someone which was still to be painted. She was given a description of what the painting would look like but she didn’t see it. She also didn’t know what the size of the painting would be. Also, when my wife enquired regarding the price, she was told, ‘‘Don’t worry. You don’t need to pay me.’’ After a few days, my wife asked the lady if she had started with the painting. She said, ‘‘No’’. So my wife told her that she no longer wanted the painting.

Two weeks later, the lady brought the painting and asked her to pay for it. My wife paid her because she didn’t want to cause problems. Besides not liking the painting, it was also too expensive. My questions are:

1. What is the condition of this transaction?

2. If the transaction is not correct, what is the way out?

Q: Two brothers are partners in a property which generates monthly rentals. The one partner passed away recently (may Allah Ta'ala forgive him). Now that the one partner has passed away, does it mean that the living partner and the heirs of the deceased partner automatically become joint partners? How should the property be distributed now? Can the one party purchase the 50% share from the other party? The living partner wishes to give his 50% share in the property to his three daughters. Can he do this? If yes, does he require consent from the heirs of the deceased partner? Also, how should he actually carry out this transfer? If he merely has a document drawn up wherein, he wilfully transfers ownership of his share (gifts it) to his daughters and has an independent person sign on his behalf, or merely verbally mentions this in the presence of two witnesses, will this be in order?

Q: I live in Durban SA. I am from Punjab India. I want to know if it is permitted for me to take SA funeral policy to pay for funeral if something happens to my family here. In India we have society to pay every month, when there is a jannazah, the society gives you money to pay for the funeral. Is it ok for me to do the same here in SA?