As-salaamu alaykum wa rahmat-Allaahi wa barakaatuhu (Peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allaah and His blessings!) Welcome to the e-mail list of the Islam Q&A website. 1. Ruling on investing in Internet cafes. use link http://islamqa.com/en/ref/112137 What is the ruling on investing and trading in Internet cafes, even though I do not know whether a user will go to beneficial sites or to harmful and haraam sites? There are chat programs in which people can get to know one another, and that often takes place between the sexes, and there may be exchange of indecent pictures, movies and songs through it. Praise be to Allaah. If these computers may be used to access reprehensible and false things that are detrimental to Islamic beliefs or through which people will look at indecent images and movies and stories, or engage in dubious conversations or haraam games, and the owner of the cafe cannot prevent these evils or cannot control these computers, then in that case it is haraam to deal in what has been mentioned, because that is helping in sin and transgression, and Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, says in His Holy Book (interpretation of the meaning): “Help you one another in Al‑Birr and At‑Taqwa (virtue, righteousness and piety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression. And fear Allaah. Verily, Allaah is Severe in punishment” [al-Maa’idah 5:2] And Allaah is the source of strength. may Allaah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and Companions. End quote. The Standing Committee for Academic Research and Issuing Fatwas Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah li’l-Buhooth al-‘Ilmiyyah wa’l-Ifta’ (26/284). 2. He wrote a receipt for her for money that she would be entitled to in the event of abuse or mistreatment . use link http://islamqa.com/en/ref/112009 The husband wrote a receipt to his wife for the sum of £10,000, and the wife wrote a receipt to the husband for the sum of £10,000. In other words, each of them wrote a receipt, and the two receipts were deposited with a third party, on the condition that whichever of them transgressed against or mistreated the other party was proven guilty would be punished by the receipt becoming due to the one who was transgressed against, whether that involved reviling or slander. It was proven that the wife was guilty, so what should the third party do?. Praise be to Allaah. Obliging the husband to pay money to his wife if he mistreats her or abuses her, or obliging the wife likewise, is not binding and in fact is not prescribed in sharia at all. Determining the degree of a punishment is not up to people, and imposing payment of money as a punishment -- even if it is permissible -- is up to the judge. Moreover writing a receipt to this effect is a kind of lying, because neither of them has received anything from the other in that regard. Based on that, these receipts should be disposed of and should not be relied upon at all. Each of the two spouses must treat the other well, and adhere to that which Allaah has commanded of kind and decent treatment. Allaah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “and live with them honourably” [al-Nisa’ 4:19] “And they (women) have rights (over their husbands as regards living expenses) similar (to those of their husbands) over them (as regards obedience and respect) to what is reasonable, but men have a degree (of responsibility) over them” [al-Baqarah 2:228] And Allaah knows best. 3. Buying gold through a site on the internet. use link http://islamqa.com/en/ref/34325 <http://islamqa.com/en/ref/34325> There is a company selling gold via the internet. Is it permissible to buy from them or to bring them customers and receive payment for that?. Praise be to Allaah. It is well known in Islam that when buying gold for currency, the exchange should take place in the same sitting where the transaction is agreed upon, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Gold for gold, silver for silver, like for like, same for same, hand to hand… If it is an exchange of one of these things for another, then sell as you like, so long as it is hand to hand.” Narrated by Muslim, 1578. I think that buying gold via the internet is not a transaction that is conducted hand to hand, because you are sending the money to them then they send that gold to you after a while. If that is the case, then buying and selling in this manner is haraam, and it is haraam for you to bring customers to this company, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “but do not help one another in sin and transgression” [al-Maa'idah 5:2] But if the money and goods are exchanged immediately in one sitting, then it is permissible for you to tell people about them and to bring customers to this company, and to receive payment for that. We ask Allaah to make our provision halaal. May Allaah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions. And Allah knows best We ask Allah the Most High, the All-Powerful, to teach us that which will benefit us, and to benefit us by that which we learn. May Allah grant blessings and peace to our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions! (Ameen) Answered By: Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid With Kind Regards Mohammad Usman Jeddah-SAUDI ARABIA The sayings of our beloved Prophet Muhammad <http://muhammad.net/> (peace be upon him) ‘Acquiring (religious) knowledge in company for an hour in the night is better than spending the whole night in prayer.’ < Al-Tirmidhi;Narrated: Abdullah ibn Abbas ® >
