Friday | 19 April 2024 | 10 Shawaal 1445

Fatwa Answer

Question ID: 608 Category: Dealings and Transactions
Rent for Shop Under Construction

AssalamuAlaikum,


I was asked to send the question I had to this email address. This is related to a business transaction.

Scenario:
A builder is going to be building a mall with many shops in it over the next 3 years. Currently there is nothing on the ground. The builder is selling shops and offering if someone pays the entire cost of the shop upfront the builder will pay them a fixed rent for the next 3 years till the mall is built out. Anyone who cannot pay the full amount will not get any rent while the mall is being built.
 
Numbers for reference:
 
Cost of buying shop = 100,000
 
Two options for someone buying the shop:
 
1. Pay 15% on booking, 15% on ground breaking, 60% in monthly installments over 3 years, 10% on possession. No rent given by the builder with this plan.
 
2. Pay 100,000 up front on booking. Builder pays the person buying the shop 500 per month as rent for the next 3 years as the shopping center is being built. Total rent received over 3 years is 18,000. Is this 18,000 considered interest in this case?
 
If the 18,000 is used towards part payment for another shop so now the shop is going to cost 82,000 vs, 100,000 is that going to be ok?
 
Please advise.
 

الجواب وبالله التوفيق 

In the situation inquired about, for the following reasons, it is not permissible to collect rent for your purchased yet under construction shop that cannot be used yet:

  1. This is the condition of صفقہ در صفقہ   i.e., attaching and mixing one deal with another. This is forbidden in the light of the Ahadith.
  2. In lieu of the rent to be collected there is nothing to give. Further, in this scenario, the purpose of the seller is not to actually rent the shop, rather it is to have the buyer partner in the profit without any partnership in loss.

الإجارة اسم للأجرة، وہي کراء الأجیر، وقد أعطاہ إذا أعطاہ أجرتہ، وفي الہدایة: الإجارة عقد علی المنافع بعوض، وفي الزاد: یرید بالعوض عوضًا ہو مال (الفتاوی التاتارخانیة: ۳/۱۵)

نہی رسول اللہ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم عن بیعتین في بیعة (الموطا لمالک، رقم الحدیث: ۲۴۴۴)

وأیضًا نہی رسول اللہ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم عن صفقتین في صفقة واحدة․ (مسند أحمد، رقم الحدیث: ۳۵۹۵)

واللہ اعلم  بالصواب