Does Adding a Secret Mark Up in Price For Clients Make My Income Haram?

Answered by Shaykh Faraz A. Khan

Question: I work for a company that provides quotes for clients for construction and repair work. There are standard mark ups we put on certain clients because they are agreements that have signed by both parties. Now recently my boss has advised me to secretly put more on the mark up value of what i normally charge these clients which is making me upset and worried.

Also with another big client we have they tend to send us more than they need to but i get told to put it through as it is which means they are paying too much. I refuse to do this and no one has yet said anything to me but another worker that does the same job as me who has just returned back to work from a 6month leave is making me feel uncomfortable about this and telling me to just do it. He also doesn’t do much work so it’s left to me. This is very distressing.

Is this classified as haram income for me? If the money is haram then what can I do with the money I have already earned? Can i get Barakah into it?

Answer: Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah,

I pray this finds you in the best of health and states.

Deception is unlawful. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “Whoever deceives us is not one of us.” [Sahih Muslim]

Imam Nahlawi, the eminent 20th-century Damascene jurist, comments:

“One type of deception is unfair pricing coupled with deceit, whether explicit or implicit. For example, lying about an item’s market value, or praising the item in a way that leads the buyer to believe it is a fair or discounted price. This is unlawful deception (ghish haram), due to which the buyer, upon coming to know of the deception, would have the option of annulling the sale.” [Durar Mubaha fil Hazr wal Ibaha]

Therefore, you should refuse to engage in any deception, whether by unfair markups or otherwise. If your boss tells you to do so, you should tell him that you are committed to ethical business practices and hence cannot lie to or cheat clients.

If this is not possible, you should start looking for other work, and transition once you have found a suitable job.

With respect to any money earned while engaging in unfair markups, your overall work encompassed much more, so your earnings are inshaAllah lawful. If you desire, however, you may want to donate a small amount in charity as an expression of sincere repentance.

And Allah knows best.
wassalam
Faraz

Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani