Fatwa ID: 09071
Answered by Mufti Nuski Cassim
Question:
Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh,
I hope you are in good health.
I would like to ask about the permissibility of earning money through mobile applications such as Honeygain and similar services. These applications claim that they use a person’s unused internet bandwidth and, in return, they pay money.
I have WiFi at home with unlimited internet, so I do not personally need the unused bandwidth. These companies say that they only use the bandwidth for legal and legitimate purposes and do not use it for anything unlawful. However, as a user, I cannot fully see or verify exactly how my internet bandwidth is being used.
My question is:
Is it permissible (halal) in Islam to sell or share unused internet bandwidth through such applications and earn money from it, even though I do not have full knowledge or control over how the company uses the bandwidth?
I would be very grateful for your guidance.
Jazakumullahu Khairan.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
Earning money through applications such as Honeygain involves allowing such companies to make use of one’s internet connection in exchange for payment—as you have highlighted.
In principle, it is permissible to sell or share unused internet bandwidth through such applications and earn money from it.
To understand the permissibility of this arrangement, it is important to understand what is actually being utilised.
Bandwidth refers to the maximum capacity of an individual’s internet connection to transmit data at any given time. When full connection is not in use, there is available capacity remaining within that same connection.
Apps such as Honeygain make use of this available capacity by routing a portion of a person ‘s idle internet traffic through their network for general purposes, and the individual in turn is compensated for allowing access to that resource.
The above falls under ijarah (leasing) and the monetization of a manfa’ah (lawful benefit).[1]
Because you are not selling the internet service itself, but rather the use of available capacity you already lawfully control, this type of arrangement via Honeygain is a permissible transaction.
It should be noted, however, that the details of the lease contract must be made clear prior to agreement, such as unused internet bandwidth only, and X amount of dollars per X amount of internet connection used.
Furthermore, not having full knowledge or control over how the company uses the bandwidth is of no consequence and will not make the transaction impermissible, as impermissible usage in this case rests with Honeygain.
Only Allah ﷻ knows best.
Written by Mufti Nuski Cassim
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
References:
[1]
قال رحمه الله تعالى: الإجارة عقد على المنافع بعوض
[شرح مختصر الكرخي ، [٥٢] كتاب الإجارات، ج. ٥، صفحة ١٣٩، دار الاسفار]
قال أبو الحسن: الإجارة عقد على منافع الأعيان، فمنها ما يشترط للمستأجر الانتفاع به، ومنها ما يشترط على المستأجر العمل فيه، وفي كل ذلك لا بد من أن يقع العقد فيه على مستأجر معلوم وأجر معلوم ووقت معلوم
[شرح مختصر الكرخي ، [٥٢] كتاب الإجارات، ج. ٥، صفحة ١٤٢، دار الاسفار]
وعقد الإجارة على وجهين: أحدهما على منافع معلومة، والثاني على مدة معلومة يستحق فيها تسليم الشيء المستأجر، لا تصح إلا على أحد هذين الوجهين، مع نفي الجهالة عن الأجرة حسب نفيها عن عقود البياعات
[شرح مختصر الطحاوي للجصاص، كتاب الإجارات، ج. ٣، صفحة ٣٨٦، دار البشائر الإسلامية]