Fatwa ID: 07952

 

Answered by Alimah Saleha Bukhari Islam

 

Question:

 

My mother owns a commercial property, within it is two separate businesses/ incomes. The first floor is a restaurant, and the second floor consists of rooms that are rented to tenants. She owns half and takes half the earnings, and her business partner takes the other half. Her business partner runs and manages both businesses as she is unable to work. We’ve had difficulty with the partner as he is refusing to remove alcohol from the restaurant.

 

Therefore, we would like to know if we should

 

1. Completely sell the restaurant portion of the business to him or
2. Find another person to lease it to, but there is the risk of that person also selling alcohol.

 

She would also like to keep the second floor so there is an income coming in for her.

 

However, our worry is that as she owns half the property, would she still be sinful for whatever is being sold in the restaurant on the first floor, or would it be best to completely sell the property?

 

 

 

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

 

Answer:

 

It is not only considered prohibited (haram) to consume alcohol, but it is also forbidden to promote, pardon, aid, or assist in it. The Prophet (ﷺ) did not only prohibit the drinking of alcohol, but he also outlawed any trading, even with non-Muslims. Therefore, it is not permissible for a Muslim to produce, handle, serve or sell alcohol, this includes importing and exporting too. [1]

 

Your mother’s responsibility as the owner of a commercial property is to rent out the premises. The two separate businesses, the restaurant, and the rooms that are rented to tenants is what her money is earned from. This money is considered permissible (halal).

 

You have mentioned that your mother owns half and takes half the earnings, and her business partner takes the other half. This would indicate that she is a co-owner of the property and business. Under these circumstances, one can consider the following options:

 

1. Completely sell the restaurant portion of the business to the existing partner. – This would absolve your mother of any association with someone committing haram in a business in which she is a shareholder of.
2. Find another person to lease it to, but there is the risk of that person also selling alcohol. – what must be considered are the activities of the tenant, whether it is the existing or potentially new one. If most of the tenant’s possessions and activities are permissible, for example fifty percent plus, then renting out a property to them is allowed on this basis. The income derived from such a lease is considered permissible. Conversely, if most of the tenant’s activities and possessions are impermissible, then renting out the property to them is not impermissible, and the income earned would be considered tainted. [2]

 

While it is sinful for a Muslim restaurant owner to serve alcohol, renting the premises to them remains permissible if most of the food and drink served are halal. However, as a landlord, it is advisable to encourage the tenant to refrain from selling alcohol, and to align their business practices more closely with Islamic principles.

 

Thus, if your mother disassociated with the restaurant business, that would be best to disassociate with the haram. However, she may continue to lease the property out based on the principles mentioned above. She may keep the second floor to continue to generate an income.

 

 

Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.

Written by Alimah Saleha Bukhari Islam

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham

 

 

 

 

 

 

[1]  ٣٧٠٣ – (حرمت التجارة في الخمر) أي بيعها وشراؤها لا يصح لنجاستها ولكونه إعانة على معصية

(خ د عن عائشة) قالت: لما نزلت الآيات الأواخر من سورة البقرة خرج رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فقرأهن علينا فقال: حرمت إلخ فذكره

ص380 – كتاب فيض القدير – حرف الحاء – المكتبة الشاملة

 

 

[2]  (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، فَصَارَ كَبَيْعِ الْجَارِيَةِ مِمَّنْ لَا يَسْتَبْرِئُهَا أَوْ يَأْتِيهَا مِنْ دُبُرٍ وَبَيْعِ الْغُلَامِ مِنْ لُوطِيٍّ وَالدَّلِيلُ عَلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ لَوْ آجَرَهُ لِلسُّكْنَى جَازَ وَهُوَ لَا بُدَّ لَهُ مِنْ عِبَادَتِهِ فِيهِ اهـ زَيْلَعِيٌّ وَعَيْنِيٌّ وَمِثْلُهُ فِي النِّهَايَةِ وَالْكِفَايَةِ، قَالَ فِي الْمِنَحِ: وَهُوَ صَرِيحٌ فِي جَوَازِ بَيْعِ الْغُلَامِ مِنْ اللُّوطِيِّ، وَالْمَنْقُولُ فِي كَثِيرٍ مِنْ الْفَتَاوَى أَنَّهُ يُكْرَهُ وَهُوَ الَّذِي عَوَّلْنَا عَلَيْهِ فِي الْمُخْتَصَرِ اهـ.

 

 

أَقُولُ: هُوَ صَرِيحٌ أَيْضًا فِي أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ مِمَّا تَقُومُ الْمَعْصِيَةُ بِعَيْنِهِ، وَلِذَا كَانَ مَا فِي الْفَتَاوَى مُشْكِلًا كَمَا مَرَّ عَنْ النَّهْرِ إذْ لَا فَرْقَ بَيْنَ الْغُلَامِ وَبَيْنَ الْبَيْتِ وَالْعَصِيرِ ” فَكَانَ يَنْبَغِي لِلْمُصَنِّفِ التَّعْوِيلُ عَلَى مَا ذَكَرَهُ الشُّرَّاحُ فَإِنَّهُ مُقَدَّمٌ عَلَى مَا فِي الْفَتَاوَى. نَعَمْ عَلَى هَذَا التَّعْلِيلِ الَّذِي ذَكَرَهُ الزَّيْلَعِيُّ يُشْكِلُ الْفَرْقُ بَيْنَ مَا تَقُومُ الْمَعْصِيَةُ بِعَيْنِهِ وَبَيْنَ مَا لَا تَقُومُ بِعَيْنِهِ، فَإِنَّ الْمَعْصِيَةَ فِي السِّلَاحِ وَالْمُكَعَّبِ الْمُفَضَّضِ وَنَحْوِهِ إنَّمَا هِيَ بِفِعْلِ الشَّارِي فَلْيُتَأَمَّلْ فِي وَجْهِ الْفَرْقِ فَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يَظْهَرْ لِي وَلَمْ أَرَ مَنْ نَبَّهَ عَلَيْهِ. نَعَمْ يَظْهَرُ الْفَرْقُ عَلَى مَا قَدَّمَهُ الشَّارِحُ تَبَعًا لِغَيْرِهِ مِنْ التَّعْلِيلِ، لِجَوَازِ بَيْعِ الْعَصِيرِ بِأَنَّهُ لَا تَقُومُ الْمَعْصِيَةُ بِعَيْنِهِ، بَلْ بَعْدَ تَغَيُّرِهِ فَهُوَ كَبَيْعِ الْحَدِيدِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْفِتْنَةِ، لِأَنَّهُ وَإِنْ كَانَ يُعْمَلُ مِنْهُ السِّلَاحُ لَكِنْ بَعْدَ تَغَيُّرِهِ أَيْضًا إلَى صِفَةٍ أُخْرَى. وَعَلَيْهِ يَظْهَرُ كَوْنُ الْأَمْرَدِ مِمَّا تَقُومُ الْمَعْصِيَةُ بِعَيْنِهِ كَمَا قَدَّمْنَاهُ فَلْيُتَأَمَّلْ (قَوْلُهُ وَأَمَّا الْأَمْصَارُ) الْأَنْسَبُ فِي التَّعْبِيرِ كَالْأَمْصَارِ إلَخْ ط (قَوْلُهُ فَلَا يُمَكَّنُونَ) أَيْ مِنْ اتِّخَاذِ الْبِيَعِ وَالْكَنَائِسِ وَإِظْهَارِ بَيْعِ الْخُمُورِ وَنَحْوِ ذَلِكَ (قَوْلُهُ أَوْ كَنِيسَةً أَوْ بِيعَةً) الْأَوَّلُ مَعْبَدُ الْيَهُودِ وَالثَّانِي مَعْبَدُ النَّصَارَى ذَكَرَهُ فِي الصِّحَاحِ وَمَنْ ظَنَّ عَكَسَ هَذَا فَقَدْ سَهَا اهـ ابْنُ كَمَالٍ لَكِنْ تُطْلَقُ الْكَنِيسَةُ عَلَى الثَّانِي أَيْضًا كَمَا يُعْلَمُ مِنْ الْقَامُوسِ وَالْمُغْرِبِ وَالْبِيعَةُ بِالْكَسْرِ جَمْعُهُ بِيَعٌ كَعِنَبٍ.

ص392 – كتاب حاشية ابن عابدين رد المحتار ط الحلبي – فصل في البيع – المكتبة الشاملة