Friday | 29 March 2024 | 18 Ramadhan 1445

Fatwa Answer

Question ID: 1668 Category: Dealings and Transactions
Regarding Dealing In Raw Leather (not tanned or processed leather) - Is it permissible to get a comm

Assalamualaikum,

I started working as a freelance leather buying agent with my uncle who has decades of experience in this field where we connect real buyers with genuine sellers and gets a nominal commission from the seller once the deal is done...

We have buyers from Muslim countries like Indonesia and Nigeria who purchases leather through us and manufacture human foods called "Ponmo Food" from cow leather. We have genuine sellers from non-muslim countries like Brazil, Colombia, etc, so we don't know whether the cow was slaughtered in an Islamic way or not.

The leather is normal leather that is used for tannery and goods but buyers want to use it for food so, I thought it was their personal choice and I got into this business but now I want to know...

Note: Our buyers are not manufacturing food. They are selling it locally and the local buyers purchase it for different purposes including Tannery, Shoes, Medicine, and Food but the majority is for food manufacturing... "It is raw skins not tanned or processed skins"

1) We just work as a platform to connect buyers & sellers and don't involve in any food-making and selling process. Also, our buyer is not making food, our buyer's buyer is making food out of leather. So taking a commission from the seller is permissible or prohibited for me?

2) If the income is not pure then what should I do as I don't have any other source of income? Leave the business now or continue the business till I get any other job or business?

Jazak Allahu Khair

بسم اللہ الرحمن الرحیم

لجواب وباللہ التوفیق

It is illegal to sell skins of dead and non-halal slaughtered animals before tanning. While your job is not to directly sell these products,  but rather act as a liaison between the seller and the buyer. You also claim to not  even know if the slaughtered animals are halal or non-halal. Therefore your wages as a liaison are permissible for you. 

وَكَذَا لَا يُكْرَهُ بَيْعُ الْجَارِيَةِ الْمُغَنِّيَةِ وَالْكَبْشِ النَّطُوحِ وَالدِّيكِ الْمُقَاتِلِ وَالْحَمَامَةِ الطَّيَّارَةِ؛ لِأَنَّهُ لَيْسَ عَيْنُهَا مُنْكَرًا وَإِنَّمَا الْمُنْكَرُ فِي اسْتِعْمَالِهَا الْمَحْظُورِ. اهـ.

(رد المحتار: ۴/۲۶۸

وَقَدَّمْنَا ثَمَّةَ مَعْزِيًّا لِلنَّهْرِ أَنَّ مَا قَامَتْ الْمَعْصِيَةُ بِعَيْنِهِ يُكْرَهُ بَيْعُهُ تَحْرِيمًا وَإِلَّا فَتَنْزِيهًا. فَلْيُحْفَظْ تَوْفِيقًا.(رد المحتار:۶/۳۹۱

قَوْلُهُ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَدْرِ أَنَّهُ مِنْهُمْ لَا) أَيْ لَا يُكْرَهُ الْبَيْع(البحر الرائق: ۵/۱۵۵

ثم السبب … إن لم یکن محرکًا وداعیًا؛ بل موصلاً محضًا، وہو مع ذٰلک سبب قریب بحیث لا یحتاج في إقامۃ المعصیۃ بہ إلی إحداث صنعۃ من الفاعل، کبیع السلاح من أہل الفتنۃ وبیع العصیر ممن یتخذہ خمرًا، فکلہ مکروہ تحریمًا بشرط أن یعلم بہ البائع والآجر من دون تصریح بہ باللسان، فإنہ إن لم یعلم کان معذورًا۔ (جواہر الفقہ، تفصیل الکلام في مسئلۃ الإعانۃ علی الحرام، عنوان: أقسام السبب وأحکامہ ۲؍۴۵۲

وجاز حمل خمر ذمي بنفسہ أو دابتہ (الدر المختار

قال الزیلعي: وہٰذا عندہ … ولہ: أن الإجارۃ علی الحمل، وہو لیس بمعصیۃ ولا سبب لہا، وإنما تحصل المعصیۃ بفعل فاعل مختار۔ (الدر المختار مع الشامي، الحظر والإباحۃ / فصل في البیع ۹؍۵۶۲

فقط واللہ اعلم واتم