Is It Permissible to Work in Sales if Financing Is Involved?

Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel

Question

Is it permissible to work as a salesperson for a home security company where financing is offered through a bank with 0% APR for a fixed term, and my commission comes solely from subscription fees, not financing or interest?

I guide customers with low credit to pay outright to avoid potential interest.

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.

I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question.

Yes, it is permissible for you to work as a salesperson for a home security company. Your commission comes from the overall company profits and customer subscriptions, and you are an intermediary of a home security firm, which is permissible in nature.

Acting as a salesperson and charging a commission for your services is allowed, provided that you are facilitating a transaction that is permissible under Sacred Law. However, if the transaction is unlawful—such as those based on interest or involving alcohol—then it is not permissible to serve as an agent in that transaction.

It is permitted to pay or take a commission in the form of a percentage from the sale of the item. Jurists assert that even though the commission (ujra) of the broker is initially unknown, when the item is actually sold, it will automatically be identified and fixed. As such, this initial uncertainty (jahala) will subsequently be replaced with certainty, and as such, it is not something that leads to dispute. [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar; ‘Usmani, Fiqh al-Buyu’]

I would like you to go through the valuable answers and links below. In sha Allah, you will receive guidance and direction.

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I pray this helps with your question.
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Mawlana Ilyas Patel has received traditional education in various countries. He started his schooling in the UK and completed his hifz of the Quran in India. After that, he joined an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied secular and Aalimiyya sciences. Later, he traveled to Karachi, Pakistan, and other Middle Eastern countries to further his education. Mawlana has served as an Imam in the Republic of Ireland for several years and taught the Quran and other Islamic sciences to both children and adults. He also worked as a teacher and librarian at a local Islamic seminary in the UK for 12 years. Presently, he lives in the UK with his wife and is interested in books and gardening.