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:

Assalaamu-alaikum,

A friend of mine is looking into buying a fastfood franchise and he wants me to invest along with him and share the profit. So, he will be running the franchise store and We will share the profit based on the investment amount and time put in by him to run the store. I will be a silent partner (just investing and not involved in running the store). My question is, since the store also sells products that contain pork apart from beef and other animal products, is my income going to be haram?

Please note that I will not be running the store and will just act as an invester.

Your insight will be much appreciated.

Jazak-Allah. 

(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:

Selling Port swine

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.

Dear and beloved brother in Islam, when Allah and His Messenger (saws) have declared something as haraam (riba, intoxicants, fahisha or indecency like pornography, swine, etc.) it does not behove and befit a believer who sincerely believes in Allah and the Last Day to transact trade of these unlawful products, or to profit in any way whatsoever from the sale of these unlawful products. Any income or profit derived from trading or transacting the haraam will also be deemed haraam in the Sight of Shariah and of Allah Subhanah.

Regardless of whether you are an investor or run the restaurant yourself, it would not behove you as a muslim to derive any benefit or profit from transacting in what has clearly been declared as unlawful and filth by Allah and His Messenger (saws).

In our humble opinion brother, it would be best to fear Allah and abstain from investing your money in a business which indulges in or sells something which has clearly been declared as haraam by Allah and His Messenger. If you abstain from this opportunity only because of Allah Subhanah, it is expected that your Lord Most High will accept your piety and reward you from His Unlimited Bounties in this world and the Hereafter.

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 and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan