Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Dear Brother Burhan\ saheb

Asalam Asalam Aleikum wa rahamatullah e wa barakatuhu

I AM SUPPLYING READY MADE GARMENTS TO  SOME BIG HYPERMARKETS IN GULF COUNTRIES..NOW DAYS ALMOST ALL THE STORES ARE ASKJING TO PAY A HUGE AMOUNT 20.000 TO 30.000 DIRHAMS JUST FOR LISTING FEES...

I DONT KNOW WEATHER THIS IS ALLOWED IN ISLAM...INFACT WE ARE SELLING THE PRODUCT WITH REASONABLE AND COMPETATIVE PRICES BUT DONT UNDERSTAND WHY SHALL WE PAY THE AMOUNT JUST TO BE AS A REGISTERED SUPPLEIR..**IS THIS HALLAL? SOME PEOPLE SAYS IT IS HARAM AND THE BIG STORES ARE MAKING MONEY THIS WAY AND COLLECTING MILLIONS OF DIRHAMS FROM SUPPLEIRS...

I WILL BE THANKFULL TO YOU IF YOU COULD GUID ME WEATHER THIS WAY OF BUSINESS IS HALLAL OR NOT...

JAZAKAALAH KHAIR BROTRHER..

YOUR WELL WISHER AND BROTHER IN DEEN

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Taking listing fees haraam or halaal

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verse 29: O ye who believe! Eat not up your property among yourselves in vanities: but let there be amongst you traffic and trade by mutual good-will: nor kill (or destroy) yourselves: for verily Allah hath been to you Most Merciful.

The things that Allah Subhanah has declared forbidden in business or trading are things or acts that include interest, haraam products, fraud, cheating, dishonesty, deceit, deception, etc.

If the party who is buying (or selling) makes a condition that any party that wishes to buy (or sell) any product to them must register and pay a stated amount to make themselves eligible to buy (or sell) to them; there is absolutely nothing in Shariah Law which would forbid them to make such a policy.

In cases where the buying party makes a condition upon the seller to register and pay a stated charge to make them eligible to supply to them, the seller obviously has the option to refuse the condition, and supply his merchandise elsewhere if the transaction is not profitable for him. Neither the paying nor the receiving of this amount violates any law aspect of Shariah or Islamic Law, thus such transactions and trading between the two parties would be deemed absolutely lawful in Islam.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan