Is It Halal to Take a Small Percentage of Profit When Selling an Item for Family or Friends?

Answered by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Question

When selling an item for family or friends, is it halal to take a small percentage for my effort without specifying the amount if they don’t ask for details? Or must I inform them of the exact deduction?

Answer

I pray you are well.

It wouldn’t be permissible to take a profit when selling an item for your friends of family without their knowledge. This is tantamount to deception and the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) forbade this.

He said to someone who had an unethical practice in trade, “Whoever deceives us is not from us.” [Muslim] The hadith indicates that the person was not adhering to the high standard of honesty Allah (Most High) demands of us.

If you want a profit for your efforts, purchase the item from them and sell it yourself, or come to another agreement with them that they have full knowledge of and the freedom to choose or decline.

May Allah enrich us through being able to follow the Sunna of His Beloved Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace)

[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim Reasat
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat began his studies in Arabic Grammar and Morphology in 2005. After graduating with a degree in English and History, he moved to Damascus in 2007, where, for 18 months, he studied with many erudite scholars. In late 2008 he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continued his studies for the next six years in Sacred Law (fiqh), legal theory (Usul al-fiqh), theology, hadith methodology, hadith commentary, and Logic. He was also given licenses of mastery in the science of Quranic recital, and he was able to study an extensive curriculum of Quranic sciences, tafsir, Arabic grammar, and Arabic eloquence.