Fatwa ID: 08240
Answered by: Alimah Maryam Badshah
Question:
My brother works in Microsoft and he has been allotted some shares of the company as per the ESOP plan, but he can’t sell those shares until the expiry of 5 years.
Will the money gained through selling of Microsoft shares after expiry of 5 years be halal or haram, as shares of Microsoft, as of current record, are not Shariah compliant (checked through Shariah compliance application Musaffa Academy)?
Please reply and also tell me about zakat ruling for now before expiry of holding period.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
The permissibility of wealth gained through shares is dependent on a company’s business activities, revenue and compliance with the Shari’ah. There are several Islamic investing websites which analyse a company’s financial reports and public data to make compliance assessments regarding whether or not it is in accordance with the Shariah.
The more prevalent Islamic investment research websites follow the standards and guidelines set by the Accounting and Auditing Organisation for Islamic Finance Institutions (AAOIFI). These websites have several stages of screening before they declare a company as permissible, impermissible or doubtful. These sites check to see if a company’s interest-based debts and deposits are below ⅓ or 30% (based on Bukhari 5659). They also calculate how much of the company’s generated income is from riba and impermissible operations, such as selling haram products, dealings in explicit content, unethical practices or interest-bearing financial instruments. Whilst it is better for a company not to have any impermissible revenue and such shares should be avoided, most Islamic standards organisations have set a tolerance level of 5% of a company’s revenue before declaring a company to have impermissible or doubtful revenue.
The revenue of the “Microsoft Corporation” covers several areas, such as computing, software, games, advertisements and interest (riba). As of the start of 2025, many investment websites have now labelled Microsoft as either doubtful or impermissible. After interest (riba), this appears to be due to their revenue produced through gaming and advertisements. Microsoft does not provide a detailed report regarding content revenue, so it is unclear as to exactly how much of the revenue from these sectors are from content that is impermissible.
Regardless of if a company has exceeded 5% or not, any percentage of shares that are from impermissible sources should be disposed of, usually via a charity. When trying to calculate how much should be disposed of, several investment websites offer “purification calculators” that can assist in this. Each year or whenever these percentages are updated (usually quarterly), your brother should see how much of his shares are non-shari’ah compliant and note how much of it was haram at the time. He should give this amount in charity either each time he calculates this or altogether when the shares are released.
As for the zakah on the shares that your brother has been given, after reaching the nisab he is required to give zakah on 2.5% of the share’s zakatable assets at the end of each year, since he is now a partial owner of the business. For a company, zakat is applied to currency & resale items such as inventory and trade merchandise (including raw materials & unsold merchandise). Zakat is not due on what constitutes “tools of the trade”, such as equipment and buildings which are not for resale. This information would be difficult to establish for the regular person, however several investment websites also offer “zakat calculators” to ascertain this amount.
In conclusion, the money gained from these shares will only become permissible once the portion that has been gained from impermissible revenue has been removed and disposed of and the zakat for the 5 years has been distributed.
Only Allah knows best.
Written by Alimah Maryam Badshah
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
حَدَّثَنَا الْمَكِّيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، أَخْبَرَنَا الْجُعَيْدُ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ بِنْتِ سَعْدٍ، أَنَّ أَبَاهَا، قَالَ تَشَكَّيْتُ بِمَكَّةَ شَكْوًا شَدِيدًا، فَجَاءَنِي النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَعُودُنِي، فَقُلْتُ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ إِنِّي أَتْرُكُ مَالاً وَإِنِّي لَمْ أَتْرُكْ إِلاَّ ابْنَةً وَاحِدَةً، فَأُوصِي بِثُلُثَىْ مَالِي وَأَتْرُكُ الثُّلُثَ فَقَالَ ” لاَ ”. قُلْتُ فَأُوصِي بِالنِّصْفِ وَأَتْرُكُ النِّصْفَ قَالَ ” لاَ ”. قُلْتُ فَأُوصِي بِالثُّلُثِ وَأَتْرُكُ لَهَا الثُّلُثَيْنِ قَالَ ” الثُّلُثُ وَالثُّلُثُ كَثِيرٌ ”. ثُمَّ وَضَعَ يَدَهُ عَلَى جَبْهَتِهِ، ثُمَّ مَسَحَ يَدَهُ عَلَى وَجْهِي وَبَطْنِي ثُمَّ قَالَ ” اللَّهُمَّ اشْفِ سَعْدًا وَأَتْمِمْ لَهُ هِجْرَتَهُ ”. فَمَا زِلْتُ أَجِدُ بَرْدَهُ عَلَى كَبِدِي فِيمَا يُخَالُ إِلَىَّ حَتَّى السَّاعَةِ.
Sahih Al-Bukhāri 5659 (Bk.75, ch.13, sunnah.com)
[الْبَابُ الْحَادِيَ عَشَرَ فِي أَحْكَامِ الْبَيْعِ الْغَيْرِ جَائِزٍ]
الْبَيْعُ نَوْعَانِ بَاطِلٌ وَفَاسِدٌ فَالْبَاطِلُ مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ مَحَلُّهُ مَالًا مُتَقَوِّمًا كَمَا لَوْ اشْتَرَى خَمْرًا أَوْ خِنْزِيرًا أَوْ صَيْدَ الْحَرَمِ أَوْ الْمَيْتَةَ أَوْ دَمًا مَسْفُوحًا فَهُوَ لَا يُفِيدُ الْمِلْكَ وَأَمَّا الْفَاسِدُ وَهُوَ أَنْ لَا يَكُونَ بَدَّلَاهُ مَالًا كَمَا لَوْ اشْتَرَى بِخَمْرٍ أَوْ خِنْزِيرٍ أَوْ صَيْدِ الْحَرَمِ …أَوْ أَدْخَلَ فِيهِ شَرْطًا فَاسِدًا أَوْ نَحْوَهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَنْعَقِدُ الْبَيْعُ بِقِيمَةِ الْمَبِيعِ وَيَمْلِكُ عِنْدَ الْقَبْضِ…
Al-Fatāwa al-Hindiyyah (Vol.3, pg.146-7, Dār Al-Fiqr)
(بَابُ الرِّبَا)
…فَلِذَلِكَ عَرَّفَهُ شَرْعًا بِقَوْلِهِ (فَضْلُ مَالٍ بِلَا عِوَضٍ فِي مُعَاوَضَةِ مَالٍ بِمَالٍ) أَيْ فَضْلُ أَحَدِ الْمُتَجَانِسَيْنِ عَلَى الْآخَرِ بِالْعِيَارِ الشَّرْعِيِّ
Al-Bahr Al-Rāiq (Vol.6, pg.135, Dār Al-Kitab Al-Islami)
لِمَا رَوَى أَبُو حَنِيفَةَ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ جَدِّهِ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ «نَهَى عَنْ بَيْعٍ وَشَرْطٍ» وَالنَّهْيُ يَقْتَضِي فَسَادَ الْمَنْهِيِّ فَيَدُلُّ عَلَى فَسَادِ كُلِّ بَيْعٍ وَشَرْطٍ إلَّا مَا خُصَّ عَنْ عُمُومِ النَّصِّ؛ وَلِأَنَّ هَذِهِ الشُّرُوطَ بَعْضُهَا فِيهِ مَنْفَعَةٌ زَائِدَةٌ تَرْجِعُ إلَى الْعَاقِدَيْنِ، أَوْ إلَى غَيْرِهِمَا، وَزِيَادَةُ مَنْفَعَةٍ مَشْرُوطَةٍ فِي عَقْدِ الْبَيْعِ تَكُونُ رِبًا وَالرِّبَا حَرَامٌ، وَالْبَيْعُ الَّذِي فِيهِ رِبًا فَاسِدٌ وَبَعْضُهَا فِيهِ غَرَرٌ «، وَنَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنْ بَيْعٍ فِيهِ غَرَرٌ» وَالْمَنْهِيُّ عَنْهُ فَاسِدٌ، وَبَعْضُهَا شَرْطُ التَّلَهِّي وَأَنَّهُ مَحْظُورٌ، وَبَعْضُهَا يُغَيِّرُ مُقْتَضَى الْعَقْدِ وَهُوَ مَعْنَى الْفَسَادِ، إذْ الْفَسَادُ هُوَ التَّغْيِيرُ وَاَللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ.
Badā’i’ Al-Ṣanā’i’ (Vol.5, pg.175-6, Dār Al-Kutub Al-’Ilmiyyah)
لَوْ مَاتَ الرَّجُلُ وَكَسْبُهُ مِنْ بَيْعِ الْبَاذَقِ أَوْ الظُّلْمِ أَوْ أَخْذِ الرِّشْوَةِ يَتَوَرَّعُ الْوَرَثَةُ، وَلَا يَأْخُذُونَ مِنْهُ شَيْئًا وَهُوَ أَوْلَى بِهِمْ وَيَرُدُّونَهَا عَلَى أَرْبَابِهَا إنْ عَرَفُوهُمْ، وَإِلَّا تَصَدَّقُوا بِهَا لِأَنَّ سَبِيلَ الْكَسْبِ الْخَبِيثِ التَّصَدُّقُ إذَا تَعَذَّرَ الرَّدُّ عَلَى صَاحِبِهِ اهـ
Raddul Muhtār (Vol.6, pg.385, Dār Al-Fiqr)
(الْبَابُ الثَّالِثُ فِي زَكَاةِ الذَّهَبِ وَالْفِضَّةِ وَالْعُرُوضِ) ، وَفِيهِ فَصْلَانِ (الْفَصْلُ الْأَوَّلُ فِي زَكَاةِ الذَّهَبِ وَالْفِضَّةِ)
تَجِبُ فِي كُلِّ مِائَتَيْ دِرْهَمٍ خَمْسَةُ دَرَاهِمَ، وَفِي كُلِّ عِشْرِينَ مِثْقَالِ ذَهَبٍ نِصْفُ مِثْقَالٍ مَضْرُوبًا كَانَ أَوْ لَمْ يَكُنْ مَصُوغًا أَوْ غَيْرَ مَصُوغٍ حُلِيًّا كَانَ لِلرِّجَالِ أَوْ لِلنِّسَاءِ تِبْرًا كَانَ أَوْ سَبِيكَةً…
وَأَمَّا الْفُلُوسُ فَلَا زَكَاةَ فِيهَا إذَا لَمْ تَكُنْ لِلتِّجَارَةِ وَإِنْ كَانَتْ لِلتِّجَارَةِ فَإِنْ بَلَغَتْ مِائَتَيْنِ وَجَبَتْ الزَّكَاةُ… ثُمَّ فِي كُلِّ أَرْبَعِينَ دِرْهَمًا دِرْهَمٌ، وَفِي كُلِّ أَرْبَعَةِ مَثَاقِيلَ قِيرَاطَانِ كَذَا فِي الْهِدَايَةِ. وَتُضَمُّ قِيمَةَ الْعُرُوضِ إلَى الثَّمَنَيْنِ وَالذَّهَبُ إلَى الْفِضَّةِ قِيمَةً كَذَا فِي الْكَنْزِ…
[الْفَصْلُ الثَّانِي فِي الْعُرُوض]
الزَّكَاةُ وَاجِبَةٌ فِي عُرُوضِ التِّجَارَةِ كَائِنَةً مَا كَانَتْ إذَا بَلَغَتْ قِيمَتُهَا نِصَابًا مِنْ الْوَرِقِ وَالذَّهَبِ كَذَا فِي الْهِدَايَةِ. وَيُقَوَّمُ بِالْمَضْرُوبَةِ…
وَكَذَا كُلُّ مَكِيلٍ أَوْ مَوْزُونٍ أَوْ مَعْدُودٍ، وَإِنْ كَانَتْ الزِّيَادَةُ فِي الذَّاتِ بِأَنْ ذَهَبَتْ رُطُوبَتُهُ تُعْتَبَرُ الْقِيمَةُ يَوْمَ الْوُجُوبِ إجْمَاعًا…
وَأَمَّا الْيَوَاقِيتُ وَاللَّآلِئُ وَالْجَوَاهِرُ فَلَا زَكَاةَ فِيهَا، وَإِنْ كَانَتْ حُلِيًّا إلَّا أَنْ تَكُونَ لِلتِّجَارَةِ…
وَالْخَبَّازُ إذَا اشْتَرَى حَطَبًا أَوْ مِلْحًا لِأَجْلِ الْخُبْزِ فَلَا زَكَاةَ فِيهِ، وَإِذَا اشْتَرَى سِمْسِمًا يُجْعَلُ عَلَى وَجْهِ الْخُبْزِ فَفِيهِ الزَّكَاةُ كَذَا فِي الذَّخِيرَةِ. مُضَارِبٌ ابْتَاعَ عَبْدًا أَوْ ثَوْبًا لَهُ وَحُمُولَةً زَكَّى الْكُلَّ بِخِلَافِ رَبِّ الْمَالِ حَيْثُ لَا يُزَكِّي الثَّوْبَ وَالْحُمُولَةَ؛ لِأَنَّهُ يَمْلِكُ الشِّرَاءَ لِغَيْرِ التِّجَارَةِ…
Al-Fatāwa al-Hindiyyah (Vol.1, pg.178-80, Dār Al-Fiqr)
(وتضم قيمة العروض) التي للتجارة (إلى الذهب والفضة) للمجانسة من حيث الثمينة، لأن القيمة من جنس الدراهم والدنانير (وكذلك يضم الذهب إلى الفضة) لجامع الثمينة (بالقيمة؛ حتى يتم النصاب عند أبي حنيفة)…
Al-Lubāb Fi Sharh al-Kitāb (Vol.1, pg.149, Al-Maktaba Al-’Ilmiyyah)
