Business and Dealings

Q: If someone buys a load of timber, and then comes back and says that the size is wrong and he needs a bigger size, can one charge a 10% handling fee on the timber returned?

Q: I purchased a brand-new stove last year from a Muslim brother who owns an appliance store. Two weeks ago, the thermostat blew. When the electrician opened the stove and was changing the thermostat, he noticed that the brand-new parts of the stove had been replaced with old, slightly damaged parts before it was sold to me. When I complained to the appliance store, they acknowledged the fault but were unhappy to give me a full refund because of the blown thermostat. What options do I have in Shari’ah?

Q: How is Islamic (Shari’ah) finance any different to normal commercial bank finance? In both types of finance, you pay more money than you initially borrowed. In fact, in most cases, when you compare the two options, Islamic finance costs more. Is Islamic finance really halaal?

Q: If a customer wishes to return an item that he purchased merely because he changed his mind and there was nothing wrong with the item, do I have to cancel the sale or can I refuse to cancel the sale?

Q: I have employed a salesman who will be paid a commission. The commission is percentage based, but there is a different percentage stipulated based on the amount of the sales. For example, for sales between R1 and R5000, the commission is 5%, but from R5001 to R10 000, the commission is 7.5%. Is this permissible?

Q: I am a boy and I dance on instrumental music only. My form of dancing is waving and stunts and does not contain any vulgar and obscene dance moves. It is just simple movements of my hands and legs, and I am a solo dancer so there is no intermingling of sexes involved in it. If I earn money through dancing, will my earnings be considered haraam?

Q:

1. Is it permissible for a Muslim owned security company to provide a security system, monitoring and armed response to a business that deals primarily in the sale of alcohol. This involves a contract for installation of a security system at a cost after which the system is monitored also at a cost and in the event of an activation to respond by sending an armed guard to the site.

2. If this is prohibited in Shariah, what should one do with the monies that were collected?

3. In the event the contract cannot be terminated what solution is available?

Q: I had invested some amount way back in IMA (Islamic monetary advisory) and I received the profit monthly. Recently, government officials has suspected that its ponzy business but its under court. Now my heart says the money earned as profit earlier is not pure. Hence I'm planning to dispose the profit earned totally.

My questions:

1. Should I give to my blood relatives who are needy but they are not saahib-e-nisaab? They are asking for money for their house construction. Can I make the intention of disposing the profit earned through IMA.

2. Also, can I give this money as hadya to others?

Q: I was given a computer to repair by a certain person. From what I know of this person, this computer is most likely stolen. Is it permissible to repair this computer?

Q: I hail from India. I have purchased car insurance by paying yearly premium of amount 6ooo. Can I claim insurance for damages equivalent to the premium paid or lesser?