Fatwa ID: 09452
Answered by Mufti Sakib Shadman
Question:
Assalamu Alaikum brother,
Just a quick question please. Is it haram to use a friends employee or university discount to get items cheaper. Such as clothing or food. Reason I am asking is because the discount is for employees only and not to be used by others. Discount is between 15 to 30%. Sometimes they buy the things for me. Or give me permission to use the discount code.
Jazakallah Khair.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
You mentioned that the discount is only for employees; therefore, according to the terms and conditions, it is not permissible for friends and family to use the discount code. Such deceptive impersonations are unethical, dishonest and haram in Islam.[3] Thus, your friend must receive explicit approval from the supplier of the discount for you to be permitted to use it.
However, if your friend purchases an item with their own money using their student/employee discount code and then gifts the item to you, this is permissible, even if you reimburse them for the purchase.[2] In this scenario, he is the one availing himself of his own discount code, and he becomes the owner of the purchased item. If he decides to transfer ownership thereafter, it is his choice,[1] and the terms and conditions customarily do not prohibit gifting the item to others after the original sales transaction is concluded.[4]
Only Allah ﷻ knows best.
Written by Mufti Sakib Shadman
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
References:
[1]
أَخْبَرَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ آدَمَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، عَنْ هِشَامٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ الْقَاسِمِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ كَانَ فِي بَرِيرَةَ ثَلاَثُ قَضِيَّاتٍ أَرَادَ أَهْلُهَا أَنْ يَبِيعُوهَا وَيَشْتَرِطُوا الْوَلاَءَ فَذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لِلنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ ” اشْتَرِيهَا وَأَعْتِقِيهَا فَإِنَّمَا الْوَلاَءُ لِمَنْ أَعْتَقَ ” . وَأُعْتِقَتْ فَخَيَّرَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَاخْتَارَتْ نَفْسَهَا وَكَانَ يُتَصَدَّقُ عَلَيْهَا فَتُهْدِي لَنَا مِنْهُ فَذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لِلنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ ” كُلُوهُ فَإِنَّهُ عَلَيْهَا صَدَقَةٌ وَهُوَ لَنَا هَدِيَّةٌ ” .
Sunan an-Nasa’i 3448
[2]
إلا أن يعوضه) الموهوب له (عنها) ويقبضه الواهب، لحصول المقصود، لكن بشرط أن يذكر لفظا يعلم الواهب أنه عوض عن كل
Al-Lubāb Fi Sharḥ al-Kitāb, 1993 (Vol.2, pg.175, Al-Maktaba Al-’Ilmiyyah)
[3]
وقد بلغنا عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم انه نهى عن بيع الغرر وهذا عندنا من الغرر
Al-Asl, 1st ed., 1954 (pg.94, Cairo University Press)
[4]
٦ – المعروف بين التجار كالمشروط بينهم
Al-Madkhal Ila Dirasat al-Mazahib al-Fiqhiyyah, 2nd ed., 2001 (pg.336, Dar al-Salaam Cairo)