Business and Dealings

Q: Is it haram if someone makes a contract and in the contract it says that they will give someone something for free, but it also says in the contract that if the person that gets the free thing breaks the terms and conditions of the contract or cancels once the free thing that is being given starts to be installed then they will be asked to pay for it and also if they break the contract and are asked to now pay for the free thing and they do not pay for the free thing when the money is asked from them then interest will be charged on the money they would owe? Is that a haram interest contract to ask someone to sign? 

If it is, what should someone do with the money they have made and saved from doing a job that involved witnessing and asking others to sign up to a interest contract like this one? What should a person do if the company they worked for doing this for are due to pay him money from past contracts that the person signed others into?

Q: I would like to know if it is permitted to buy groceries in supermarkets that sell liquour and haraam meats like pick and pay, woolworths foods and others?

Q: John's car collided with Zaid's car injuring Zaid. John's insurance company pays Zaid as compensation for his injuries. Is it permissible for Zaid to accept this payment and benefit from it -- keeping in mind that insurance companies make money through gambling and interest?

Q: I am a student. I have few notes that are copyright and very expensive but  I have a copy of them. Can I sell copies at a low price as a lot of people are looking to buy them online and I need money for further studies?

Q: I am currently going to college for a chefs degree and I am often given to cook or handle wine pork and haraam beef. Is it allowed for me to do this?

Q: What does the verse of the Quran at 4:85 mean? One explanation I read says that if we vote for a candidate in election and he indulges in anti Islamic activities then we are also responsible before Allah.

Q: I want to buy a new laptop which is currently worth R6ooo, but I don’t have enough money. If I purchase it in instalments, it will cost R7800 over one year. Is this permissible?

Q: A certain person has a thriving clothing store. I want to open a clothing store where I will sell the same items as him. Also, I want to copy the method that he uses to sell his items. Is this fine?

Q: A partnership housed in a CC with 2 partners being equal members for a number of years running a retail businesses. Partner A and partner B. Partner A manages the warehouse and all store operations and staff and partner B manages purchasing of goods and finance and admin. The accounting works as follows. All monies are collected from stores and given to partner B. He then enters the receipt of money and credits the partnership. Partner B does all buying for the partnership as well as buying for his own stores which is owned by himself and for other stores which he supplies which are not part of the partnership. Partner B pays all suppliers as well as all expenses such as rental, wages, etc. Partner B purchases from suppliers in bulk supplies and invoices these goods to the partnership as well as the various other stores he supply’s. For the partnership, all payments off the partnership are paid by him. Once he has paid for expenses or goods of the partnership he invoices this out to the partnership. So an invoice will include payments he has made for goods purchased and supplied to the partnership and for expenses of the partnership that he has paid for such as wages rent etc.  All sales received from the stores are credited to the partnership in the books of of partner B when he receives it. All invoices for goods supplied are debited to the Partnership in the books of Partner B when he supplies it. All other Expenses such as rent wages etc are also debited in the same manner by Partner B. Thus the partnership will owe him money or he owing the partnership money at any given time based on the sales collected by him less the invoices he has issued to the partnership. The partnership has no creditors. The partnership is now splitting and the accounting being finalised were the sales collected by Partner B less the invoices made out to the Partnership by Partner B are being calculated to see how much is owed either to Partner B or from Partner B to the Partnership. During the partnership some 3 years ago Partner B was hijacked on route to pay suppliers and an amount of money was stolen from him. Partner B is now deducting 65% of that money stolen and claims this money belongs to the partnership and thus should be deducted. In the years from the hijacking to the split partner B has never told partner A that the money stolen was part of the partnership neither has he given him an amount. He has only brought it up now when the split has occurred as a deduction in the calculation. Will it be correct for him to deduct this money that was stolen he now claims 65% of which belongs to the Partnership?

Q: My wife and I assist with the cooking at functions for which we receive remuneration. At times, the functions are un-Islamic (engagements) and there is open violation of Shari’ah laws (e.g. intermingling of sexes). We are in no way involved with the function. We only assist with the cooking and kitchen. Is it permissible for us to assist with the cooking and is the money earned halaal?