Fatwa ID: 08718

Answered by: Maulana Yusuf Badshah

Question:

Further to a previous question.  A shop received in inheritance and trading as a better shop. Under inheritance and know as the landlord of the property, is the rent being received, halal. Also the contract cannot be broken by the landlord. The contract can only be terminated, by the betting shop company as it is held, on a tenant break only contract.

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Answer:

You are not held to account for the actions of your tenants, nor are you required to evict those who will use your property for impermissible purposes. Given that the situation is beyond your control, it will be permissible for you to continue to allow them to rent the property, and the rent you receive in exchange will be permissible. If you were able to evict them then it would still be permissible for you to let them stay and collect their rent, but given that you are certain that they will continue to use the property solely to enable their impermissible activity, it would be better if you could replace them with tenants who would not use the property for such purposes [1].

Keep in mind that it will not be permissible for you if you are receiving a proportion of their income. The money you receive must be rent of an amount independent of their earnings for it to be permissible.

References:

[1] Raddul Muhtar, vol. 6, pg. 392, Darul Fikr:

(وَ) جَازَ (إجَارَةُ بَيْتٍ بِسَوَادِ الْكُوفَةِ) أَيْ قُرَاهَا (لَا بِغَيْرِهَا عَلَى الْأَصَحِّ) وَأَمَّا الْأَمْصَارُ وَقُرَى غَيْرِ الْكُوفَةِ فَلَا يُمَكَّنُونَ لِظُهُورِ شِعَارِ الْإِسْلَامِ فِيهَا وَخُصَّ سَوَادُ الْكُوفَةِ، لِأَنَّ غَالِبَ أَهْلِهَا أَهْلُ الذِّمَّةِ (لِيُتَّخَذَ بَيْتَ نَارٍ أَوْ كَنِيسَةً أَوْ بِيعَةً أَوْ يُبَاعَ فِيهِ الْخَمْرُ) وَقَالَا لَا يَنْبَغِي ذَلِكَ لِأَنَّهُ إعَانَةٌ عَلَى الْمَعْصِيَةِ وَبِهِ قَالَتْ الثَّلَاثَةُ زَيْلَعِيٌّ

Raddul Muhtar, vol. 6, pg. 392, Darul Fikr:

(قَوْلُهُ وَجَازَ إجَارَةُ بَيْتٍ إلَخْ) هَذَا عِنْدَهُ أَيْضًا لِأَنَّ الْإِجَارَةَ عَلَى مَنْفَعَةِ الْبَيْتِ، وَلِهَذَا يَجِبُ الْأَجْرُ بِمُجَرَّدِ التَّسْلِيمِ، وَلَا مَعْصِيَةَ فِيهِ وَإِنَّمَا الْمَعْصِيَةُ بِفِعْلِ الْمُسْتَأْجِرِ وَهُوَ مُخْتَارٌ فَيَنْقَطِعُ نِسْبِيَّتُهُ عَنْهُ

Only Allah s.w.t knows best.

Written by Maulana Yusuf Badshah

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham