Friday | 03 May 2024 | 24 Shawaal 1445

Fatwa Answer

Question ID: 1773 Category: Dealings and Transactions
Working at a Car Rental Company

Assalam Alaykom,

Sheikh I am a college student working temporarily as an intern at a car rental company. I am afraid that me working there might be casuing ithm on me for two reasons:

the first is that the company sells insurance for renters and this insurance protects them from paying huge sums of money in case the car got damaged during the contract period (otherwise they pay sums that exceed the cost of the damage), is it haram if my job includes selling insurance policies to customers? Also is it haram if my job includes recording damage and then indirectly be involved in making the customer pay excessive reparations in case they did not pay for insurance? 

the second reason is that the company charges renters who fail to fill up the gas tank at time of return two times the average price per gallon of gas for each unfilled gallon. If they otherwise choose to prepurchase a full tank of gas they are charged almost the average price per gallon. My question is does that increase fall under the definition of riba? 

Jazak Allah Khair Sheikh, Assalam Alaikom.

بسم اللہ الرحمٰن الرحیم

الجواب وباللہ التوفیق

Per your statement, since an insurance policy is offered for buying to a car renter and if the renter buys that insurance for the duration of his rental period, then per the terms of that insurance coverage, the cost charged by the rental company in case of damage to the vehicle is far less than the actual cost of the damage or loss. Unfortunately, insurance policies involve interest and gambling, therefore, this employment is not permissible. 

However, if you are currently  financially strapped and it is difficult to find the right job, then you can continue with this until you find another job. However, keep repenting and seeking Allah’s forgiveness, and keep looking for another job, and as soon as you get another job, leave this immediately. 

The answer to the second clause is that the company charging double the price of petrol to its customer is like a penalty, which, though not termed interest, is not right. 

قال اللّٰہ تعالیٰ: {وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوْا عَلٰی الْاِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ} [المائدۃ، جزء آیت: ۲]

عن جابر بن عبد اللّٰہ رضي اللّٰہ عنہ قال: لعن رسول اللّٰہ صلی اللّٰہ علیہ وسلم آکل الربوا ومؤکلہ وکاتبہ وشاہدیہ، وقال: ہم سواء۔ (صحیح مسلم،رقم: ۱۵۹۸)

عن أبي ہریرۃ رضي اللّٰہ عنہ قال: نہی رسول اللّٰہ صلی اللّٰہ علیہ وسلم عن بیع الحصاۃ، وعن بیع الغرر۔ (صحیح مسلم، کتاب البیوع،: ۱۵۱۳)

:بدائع الصنائع میں ہے

الاستئجار ‌على ‌المعاصي أنه لا يصح لأنه استئجار على منفعة غير مقدورة الاستيفاء شرعا كاستئجار الإنسان للعب واللهو، وكاستئجار المغنية، والنائحة للغناء، والنوح." (كتاب الاجارة، فصل في انواع شرائط ركن الاجارة، ج:4، ص:189)

:النتف فی الفتاوی میں ہے

ولا ‌أجرة ‌على ‌المعاصي لا المسماة ولا المثل." (كتاب الاجارة، ج:2، ص:574)

ما في ’’ درر الحکام شرح مجلۃ الأحکام ‘‘ : {المادۃ ۸۹۱} - (کما أنہ یلزم أن یکون الغاصب ضامنًا إذا استہلک المال المغصوب کذلک إذا تلف أو ضاع بتعدّیہ أو بدون تعدّیہ یکون ضامنًا أیضًا ، فإن کان من القیمیات یلزم الغاصب قیمتہ في زمان الغصب ومکانہ وإن کان من المثلیات یلزمہ إعطاء مثلہ) ۔ (۲/۵۱۹ ، أحکام الغصب ، المادۃ : ۸۹۱)

فقط واللہ اعلم بالصواب