Fatwa ID: 08268
Answered by Maulana Sakib Shadman
Question:
So we buy stuff from this website called Alibaba. It is basically an online platform for manufacturers in China.
We were buying some stuff so I sent the details to a shipping agent to get a qoute. They sent me an estimate of 170 and said it would be finalised when the parcel arrives.
When the good got there the sent us a quote of 570 instead. Told me some nonsense in the end we told them just go ahead because we don’t have any choice.
Then I raised the case as a complaint to the complaint team.
From their reply this is a trick used sometimes to trap you into the sale.
They said they will process the complaint and enforce a fair compromise.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
It appears that the online seller applied deceptive tactics in order to trap you into a sale. It is prohibited in Islam to deceive the buyer when selling goods.
It was narrated by Abu Hurairah: That the Messenger of Allah (SAW) passed by a pile of food. He put his fingers in it and felt wetness (i.e. the food on top was dry but the food underneath was wet). He said: ‘Oh owner of the food! What is this?’ He replied: ‘It was rained upon Oh Messenger of Allah.’ He said: ‘Why not put it on top of the food so the people can see it?’ Then he said: ‘Whoever cheats, he is not one of us. (Tirmidhi)
As you can see, the owner of the food tried to cover up the fact that his food was water-damaged by placing dry food on top. May Allah Ta’ala give us the ability to conduct business in an honest manner such that we never deceive anybody.
Furthermore, if a person deceptively sells an item/service for an abnormally high price without consent of the buyer (as is the case in your scenario), you have the right to annul the sale. Alibaba should reconcile between you and the seller by enforcing a fair compromise. Please wait for Ali Baba’s decision and pray to Allah Ta’ala for a just outcome.
Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.
Written by Maulana Sakib Shadman
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
References:
إنَّ الْغُرُورَ فِي عَقْدِ الْمُعَاوَضَاتِ يُثْبِتُ الرُّجُوعَ؛.
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ص145 – كتاب حاشية ابن عابدين رد المحتار ط الحلبي – فرع هل ينتقل الرد بالتغرير إلى الوارث – المكتبة الشاملة
وَالْغُرُورُ يُوجِبُ الضَّمَانَ كَالْبَائِعِ إذَا غَرَّ الْمُشْتَرِيَ. أَجَابَ بِأَنَّ الْغُرُورَ فِي ضِمْنِ عَقْدِ الْمُعَاوَضَةِ سَبَبُ الرُّجُوعِ لَا مُطْلَقًا وَقَدْ تَقَدَّمَ.
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ص49 – كتاب العناية شرح الهداية بهامش فتح القدير ط الحلبي – باب الرجوع في الهبة – المكتبة الشاملة
الغبن الفاحش لا يفسد العقد ولا يوجب حق فسخه للمغبون إلا إذا كان فيه تغرير وإنما يفسد العقد ويجب فسخه بالغبن الفاحش ولو لم يكن فيه تغرير إذا كان المغبون غبناً فاحشاً صغيراً أو كان المال الذي حصل فيه الغبن الفاحش مال وقف.
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ص33 – كتاب مرشد الحيران إلى معرفة أحوال الإنسان – الفصل الثالث في الغبن الفاحش والغلط الواقع في العقود – المكتبة الشاملة
حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ حُجْرٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، عَنِ الْعَلاَءِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَرَّ عَلَى صُبْرَةٍ مِنْ طَعَامٍ فَأَدْخَلَ يَدَهُ فِيهَا فَنَالَتْ أَصَابِعُهُ بَلَلاً فَقَالَ ” يَا صَاحِبَ الطَّعَامِ مَا هَذَا ” . قَالَ أَصَابَتْهُ السَّمَاءُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ . قَالَ ” أَفَلاَ جَعَلْتَهُ فَوْقَ الطَّعَامِ حَتَّى يَرَاهُ النَّاسُ ” . ثُمَّ قَالَ ” مَنْ غَشَّ فَلَيْسَ مِنَّا ” . قَالَ وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ وَأَبِي الْحَمْرَاءِ وَابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ وَبُرَيْدَةَ وَأَبِي بُرْدَةَ بْنِ نِيَارٍ وَحُذَيْفَةَ بْنِ الْيَمَانِ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى حَدِيثُ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ . وَالْعَمَلُ عَلَى هَذَا عِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ كَرِهُوا الْغِشَّ وَقَالُوا الْغِشُّ حَرَامٌ .
Narrated Abu Hurairah: That the Messenger of Allah (SAW) passed by a pile of food. He put his fingers in it and felt wetness. He said: ‘Oh owner of the food! What is this ?’ He replied: ‘It was rained upon Oh Messenger of Allah.’ He said: ‘Why not put it on top of the food so the people can see it?’ Then he said: ‘Whoever cheats, he is not one of us.'”
He said: There are narrations on this topic from Ibn ‘Umar, Abu Al-Hamra’, Ibn ‘Abbas, Buraidah, Abu Burdah bin Niyar, and Hudhaifah bin Al-Yaman.
[Abu ‘Eisa said: ] The Hadith of Abu Hurairah is Hasan Sahih Hadith. This is acted upon according to the people of knowledge. They dislike cheating and they say that cheating is unlawful.
Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1315
Chapter 74: What Has Been Related About Cheating In Sales Is Disliked, Book 14: The Book on Business
Grade: Sahih (Darussalam)
https://sunnah.com/tirmidhi:1315
