Business and Dealings

Q: I have one question. Is making money from blogging which contains games, softwares, etc haram or halal? 

Q: I had a question about buying a car on installments. There is a car the dealership is selling for 17,000 but if I don't have cash upfront then I'll have to buy it in installments. So now they will sell it to me for 20,000 because of the fact I don't have cash upfront so will this be getting involved with interest?

Q: To my knowledge insurance is Haraam, however I see a number of Muslim insurance brokers selling insurance. Is this permissible to sell, wouldn’t it be the same as selling another haraam thing.

Q: A friend of mine is an architect and he was awarded a contract to design a church. Can he accept the contract?

Q: Few years back when I was going home from office at night I found Rs.100 on the road. I was not so much aware of the Islamic path at that time and I spent the money on myself. But now I feel its a big sin and its hurting me and making me feel guilty. Please guide me what should I do now. May Almighty Allah bless us.

Q: I have a couple of debts I have to pay back. One is a non-interest loan via a friend. One is a previous student loan where the interest is extremely small. I took this loan out some years back when I didn’t know anything about riba. If I can get a loan (non-interest) from somewhere, is it permissible for me to invest this loan in something halaal in order to make money for myself so that I can pay off my debts first, before I get a job? For example, I am able to get a loan and invest in some business which would eventually provide some return. Assuming I still don’t have a job. Or, if I can get myself a job, although I have these debts, would I be able to save up and invest first before paying the debts off? Or can I save up and invest, while taking some of my savings and putting that towards the debts at the same time? What is the best course to follow and what out of the above us permissible? What way round is allowed?

Q: I am trying to find out for a friend the permissibility of working for a company that is mainly involved with making/creating arms and selling them to companies globally including countries that use them to kill Muslims. The companies main areas of business are Defence (80%) and remainder Space/Travel. He would be working in the IT division and would have no direct involvement with the defence areas of business. He has asked a few well known scholars who said it would be deemed permissible but wasn't able to get any elaboration/clarification as to how it was exactly permissible. The company is also involved in talks with creating an office in Tel Aviv.

Q: I heard a hadith that says the dua of a person is not accepted if the source of money for his food, for his drink and for his clothes is haram even if he says "Ya Rabi" (my lord). Does this haram money include interest-based loans? I know that taking out interst-based loans is haram. But once you have the money, is that money itself haram to use? I use my student loan money to pay for my university tuition and fees. Any money that's leftover from my loan is used to pay for my rent and my food. I try to make tawbah (repentance) for getting involved in this sin, but is my repentance accepted? Or is my salah  and dua invalid? Is it haram to fill my gas tank with this money or drive anywhere or buy my groceries? I try to eat home-cooked dinners prepared by my mom (from my dad's halal income - which isn't enough unfortunately to pay for my loan).

Q: Is it permissible for a pharmacy to sell the following products:

1. Items containing gelatin from animals that were not slaughtered according to Shari’ah?

2. Items containing alcohol which have a non-alcoholic equivalent.

3. Also, will the money earned from such sales be haraam?

Q: Are we allowed to receive gifts or invitations of such a person who is an accountant of a company which exports and imports things which includes breweries. He is my uncle and if we would refuse there's a danger of breaking of relations.