Fatwa ID: 09428
Answered by Muftiyah Humairah Badshah
Question:
Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh,
I hope this email finds you in the best of health and iman.
I’m reaching out because I want to start an online jewelry business here in Leicester, and I want to make absolutely sure it’s 100% halal. I’m stuck on one critical question about payment timing.
I know many Muslims are currently running dropshipping businesses in ways that are not Shariah-compliant. My goal is to find the correct halal model so I can share it with them and help them shift to a permissible way of doing business.
About my business:
I want to sell jewelry (moissanite, stainless steel, gold-plated pieces) through my website to UK customers. I’ve contacted suppliers in China who manufacture these products, and they’ve agreed to work with me under a Wakala (agency) arrangement.
My Wakala agreement with suppliers:
They authorize me as their official UK sales agent
They give me permission to promote their products and use their photos
They ship products to my Leicester home address (not directly to customers)
They retain ownership of goods until final delivery to customer
If items arrive damaged or defective, they replace or refund
I inspect quality at my Leicester home before shipping to customers
My profit is the agency commission (difference between customer price and supplier cost)
So I’m acting as their authorized UK representative, not buying and reselling inventory.
How an order works:
Day 1: Customer orders a necklace for £50 on my website. I order the same item from my supplier for £5 (as their agent)
Day 8: Necklace arrives at my Leicester home. I inspect quality and authenticity
Day 9: I repackage and ship to customer
Day 12: Customer receives their order
My profit: £45
My dilemma: When should I take the customer’s money?
Option A: Take money AFTER inspection (Day 8)
Day 1: Customer orders. Payment is “authorized” (held by bank, I don’t receive it yet). I order from supplier
Day 8: Item arrives Leicester, I inspect it. Only after confirming quality, I “capture” the payment
Day 9: I ship to customer
Why this seems right:
I have physical possession before taking money
I verify quality before completing the sale
Customer is protected until I confirm goods are acceptable
The problem:
Payment systems only hold authorizations for 7 days maximum
Day 8 = authorization expired, customer’s money released back to them
I lose the sale even though I did everything correctly
Business model becomes impossible
My question: Is this the only halal way? If so, how do I solve the 7-day limitation?
Option B: Take money immediately (Day 1) using Salam + Wakala
Day 1: Customer pays £50 immediately (Salam contract). I order from supplier as their agent (Wakala)
Day 8: Item arrives Leicester, I inspect
Day 9: I ship to customer
Day 12: Customer receives
This combines two contracts:
Salam with customer:
Customer prepays for clearly described product (photos, materials, specifications on website)
I promise delivery in 10-14 business days
If I cannot deliver, I refund in full
Wakala with supplier:
I’m their authorized UK agent
They own goods until final delivery
I inspect at Leicester before shipping
My profit is agency commission
Why this might work:
Salam contracts allow prepayment for future delivery
Product is clearly described, delivery timeframe stated
I still inspect before final delivery
Works with modern payment systems
My concerns:
I take customer’s money Day 1 but don’t have possession until Day 8
Does Day 8 inspection satisfy possession requirement even though I took money Day 1?
Who bears risk if goods are lost Day 1-8?
My questions:
Which option is halal?
If Option A is the only halal way, how do I solve the 7-day payment limitation?
If Option B (Salam + Wakala) is permissible:
Can I combine these two contracts this way?
Does my Day 8 inspection count as possession even though I took money Day 1?
Who is liable if goods are lost before I inspect them?
Is my profit a Salam seller’s profit or Wakala agent’s commission?
Is there another option I haven’t considered?
Why this matters:
Thousands of Muslims are doing dropshipping in haram ways – taking money before possession, selling what they don’t own, never inspecting quality.
If you can help me find the correct Shariah-compliant model, I will:
Share it with the Muslim business community
Create educational content to help others shift to this halal model
Help Muslims earn halal income in e-commerce
Many young Muslims want to start businesses but have limited capital. If we can make dropshipping halal in a practical way, it would help so many shift from haram practices to permissible ones.
What I need:
Which option (A, B, or other) is halal?
If Option B works, confirm combining Salam + Wakala is permissible
If neither works, what is the correct structure?
Written confirmation I can share with other Muslims
I’m fully committed to doing this 100% halal, even if it means completely changing my approach. I just need clear guidance.
If you need any additional information, please let me know.
Jazakallahu Khairan for your time and guidance. May Allah reward you for helping establish halal commerce and guiding the ummah to earn halal rizq.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
In a standard dropshipping situation, the problem lies in the lack of possession, not the pre-payment. This is because selling an item you do not yet own is only permissible in the form of a Bay’ as-Salam contract.[1] This type of Islamic contract has very specific conditions which must be met in order for the transaction to be valid. The customer must pay in full before the seller acquires the item with an agreed date of delivery in the future must be stated for the transaction to be valid.[1]
In terms of the product, Bay’ as-Salam is only permissible in mass-produced, interchangeable items where all the relevant qualities are fully understood by both parties.[2] For example, a specified weight of a type of wheat, or a specified number of figs.[2] With clothing and material, one must stipulate the quantity, length and width, material, style, thickness and weight.[2] It is not permissible to sell something where its exact qualities are not certain, or a number of things which vary in size or quality, such as large, uncut gems.[2] Bay’ as-Salam is also not permissible in money, nor in products sold by value (ie: £10 worth of fabric).[2] In general, mass-produced factory goods with exact known and advertised specifications (as are usually dropshipped from Chinese manufacturers) do fulfill these conditions.
Other standard rules of transactions also apply to Bay’ as-Salam. Therefore, the seller should not get the manufacturer to send the product to the customer without the seller ever seeing the product.[3] The seller should take possession of the product first, then send it on to the customer.
In your case, since you are able to take possession of the product, the easiest way to perform this kind of transaction is through such a Bay’ as-Salam contract wherein you clearly advertise the product with all pertinent specification, accept the customer’s payment immediately, order the product to your location from the Chinese manufacturer, take possession of the item, and then send it on to the customer. This process would render this version of dropshipping permissible.
If for some reason you wish to act as a ‘sales agent’ between the buyer and the seller, since you are taking a cut of the proceeds you would be considered a broker rather than an agent. Taking a cut (whether a fixed amount or a fixed percentage) of a sale as a broker and giving the rest of the money to the Chinese manufacturer would be permissible.[4]
There is no need for you to delay the payment from the customer. As for liability, it is on the previous possessor until the item is delivered. Therefore, if an item is destroyed while the seller is sending it to the buyer, the seller is responsible.[5]
Only Allah ﷻ knows best.
Written by Muftiyah Humairah Badshah
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
References:
[1]
بَابُ السَّلَمِ (هُوَ) لُغَةً كَالسَّلَفِ وَزْنًا وَمَعْنًى وَشَرْعًا (بَيْعُ آجِلٍ) وَهُوَ الْمُسْلَمُ فِيهِ (بِعَاجِلٍ) وَهُوَ رَأْسُ الْمَالِ
Radd Al-Muhtaar (Halabi ed., Daar Al-Fikr, https://shamela.ws) v.5
p.209
حَدَّثَنَا صَدَقَةُ، أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي نَجِيحٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ كَثِيرٍ، عَنْ أَبِي الْمِنْهَالِ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ قَدِمَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم الْمَدِينَةَ، وَهُمْ يُسْلِفُونَ بِالتَّمْرِ السَّنَتَيْنِ وَالثَّلاَثَ، فَقَالَ “ مَنْ أَسْلَفَ فِي شَىْءٍ فَفِي كَيْلٍ مَعْلُومٍ وَوَزْنٍ مَعْلُومٍ، إِلَى أَجَلٍ مَعْلُومٍ ”.
Sahih al-Bukhari (https://sunnah.com) b.35, no.3 (2240)
[2]
قَوْلُهُ وَيَصِحُّ فِيمَا أَمْكَنَ ضَبْطُ صِفَتِهِ) لِأَنَّهُ دَيْنٌ وَهُوَ لَا يُعْرَفُ إلَّا بِالْوَصْفِ فَإِذَا لَمْ يُمْكِنْ ضَبْطُهُ بِهِ يَكُونُ مَجْهُولًا جَهَالَةً تُفْضِي إلَى الْمُنَازَعَةِ، فَلَا يَجُوزُ كَسَائِرِ الدُّيُونِ نَهْرٌ (قَوْلُهُ كَمَكِيلٍ وَمَوْزُونٍ)
…
(قَوْلُهُ كَمَكِيلٍ وَمَوْزُونٍ)
فَلَوْ أَسْلَمَ فِي الْمَكِيلِ وَزْنًا كَمَا إذَا أَسْلَمَ فِي الْبُرِّ وَالشَّعِيرِ بِالْمِيزَانِ فِيهِ رِوَايَتَانِ وَالْمُعْتَمَدُ الْجَوَازُ لِوُجُودِ الضَّبْط
Radd Al-Muhtaar (Halabi ed., Daar Al-Fikr, https://shamela.ws) v.5 p.209
وَعَدَدِيٍّ مُتَقَارِبٍ كَجَوْزٍ وَبَيْضٍ وَفَلْسٍ) وَكُمَّثْرَى وَمِشْمِشٍ وَتِينٍ
…
وَذَرْعِيٍّ كَثَوْبٍ بُيِّنَ قَدْرُهُ طُولًا وَعَرْضًا (وَصَنْعَتُهُ) كَقُطْنٍ وَكَتَّانٍ وَمُرَكَّبٍ مِنْهُمَا (وَصِفَتُهُ) كَعَمَلِ الشَّامِ أَوْ مِصْرَ أَوْ زَيْدٍ أَوْ عَمْرٍو (وَرِقَّتُهُ) أَوْ غِلَظُهُ (وَوَزْنُهُ إنْ بِيعَ بِهِ) فَإِنَّ الدِّيبَاجَ كُلَّمَا ثَقُلَ وَزْنُهُ زَادَتْ قِيمَتُهُ
…
كَانَ رَأْسُ الْمَالِ دَرَاهِمَ أَوْ دَنَانِيرَ أَيْضًا كَانَ الْعَقْدُ بَاطِلًا اتِّفَاقًا، وَإِنْ كَانَ غَيْرَهَا كَثَوْبٍ فِي عَشَرَةِ دَرَاهِمَ لَا يَصِحُّ سَلَمًا اتِّفَاقًا
…
(قَوْلُهُ وَعَدَدِيٍّ مُتَقَارِبٍ)
الْفَاصِلُ بَيْنَ الْمُتَفَاوِتِ وَالْمُتَقَارِبِ أَنَّ مَا ضُمِنَ مُسْتَهْلَكُهُ بِالْمِثْلِ، فَهُوَ مُتَقَارِبٌ وَبِالْقِيمَةِ يَكُونُ مُتَفَاوِتًا بَحْرٌ عَنْ الْمِعْرَاجِ
Radd Al-Muhtaar (Halabi ed., Daar Al-Fikr, https://shamela.ws) v.5 p.210
(لَا)
يَصِحُّ (فِي) عَدَدِيٍّ (مُتَفَاوِتٍ) هُوَ مَا تَتَفَاوَتُ مَالِيَّتُهُ (كَبِطِّيخٍ وَقَرْعٍ) وَدُرٍّ وَرُمَّانٍ فَلَمْ يَجُزْ عَدَدًا بِلَا مُمَيِّزٍ وَمَا جَازَ عَدًّا جَازَ كَيْلًا وَوَزْنًا نَهْر
Radd Al-Muhtaar (Halabi ed., Daar Al-Fikr, https://shamela.ws) v.5 p.211
(قَوْلُهُ وَجَوْهَرٍ)
كَالْيَاقُوتِ وَالْبَلْخَشِ وَالْفَيْرُوزَجِ نَهْرٌ
…
قَالَهُ الْجَوْهَرِيُّ وَذَلِكَ كَالْعَقِيقِ وَالْبَلُّورِ لِتَفَاوُتِ آحَادِهَا تَفَاوُتًا فَاحِشًا
Radd Al-Muhtaar (Halabi ed., Daar Al-Fikr, https://shamela.ws) v.5 p.212
[3]
وَرُكْنُهُ رُكْنُ الْبَيْعِ) حَتَّى يَنْعَقِدَ بِلَفْظِ بَيْعٍ فِي الْأَصَح
Radd Al-Muhtaar (Halabi ed., Daar Al-Fitr, https://shamela.ws) v.5 p.209
[4]
مَطْلَبٌ فِي أُجْرَةِ الدَّلَّالِ [تَتِمَّةٌ]
قَالَ فِي التتارخانية: وَفِي الدَّلَّالِ وَالسِّمْسَارِ يَجِبُ أَجْرُ الْمِثْلِ، وَمَا تَوَاضَعُوا عَلَيْهِ أَنَّ فِي كُلِّ عَشَرَةِ دَنَانِيرَ كَذَا فَذَاكَ حَرَامٌ عَلَيْهِمْ. وَفِي الْحَاوِي: سُئِلَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ عَنْ أُجْرَةِ السِّمْسَارِ، فَقَالَ: أَرْجُو أَنَّهُ لَا بَأْسَ بِهِ وَإِنْ كَانَ فِي الْأَصْلِ فَاسِدًا لِكَثْرَةِ التَّعَامُلِ وَكَثِيرٌ مِنْ هَذَا غَيْرُ جَائِزٍ، فَجَوَّزُوهُ لِحَاجَةِ النَّاسِ إلَيْهِ كَدُخُولِ الْحَمَّامِ وَعَنْهُ قَالَ: رَأَيْتُ ابْنَ شُجَاعٍ يُقَاطِعُ نَسَّاجًا يَنْسِجُ لَهُ ثِيَابًا فِي كُلِّ سَنَةٍ
Radd Al-Muhtaar (Halabi ed., Daar Al-Fikr, https://shamela.ws) v.6 p.63
اَلْحَاجَةُ تُنَزَّلُ مَنْزِلَةُ الضَّرُوْرَةِ ، عَامَّةً كَانَتْ أَوْ خَاصَّةً فِيْ إِبَاحَةِ الْمَحْظُوْر
…
اَلْعَادَةُ مُحَكَّمَةٌ
…
وَلِلْعَادَاتِ وَالْأَعْرَافِ سُلْطَانٌ عَلَى النُّفُوْسِ وَتَحْكُمُ فِي الْعُقُوْلِ لِهَذَا اُعْتُبِرَتْ مِنْ ضُرُوْرِيَاتِ الْحَيَاةِ . وَلِهَذَا قَالُوْا : ( اَلْعَادَةُ طَبِيْعَةٌ ثَانِيَةٌ ( وَفيْ نَزْعِ النَّاسِ مِنْ عَادَاتِهِمْ حَرَجٌ شَدِیْدٌ
Al-Qawaaidh Al-Fiqhiyyah (Daar Al-Tirmizhi) p45-47
اَلْمَعْرُوْفُ بَيْنَ التُّجَّار ، كَالْمَشْرُوْط بَيْنَهُم
Al-Qawaaidh Al-Fiqhiyyah (Daar Al-Tirmizhi) p.55
[5]
إذَا قَالَ الْمُشْتَرِي لِلْبَائِعِ ابْعَثْ إلَى ابْنِي وَاسْتَأْجَرَ الْبَائِعُ رَجُلًا يَحْمِلُهُ إلَى ابْنِهِ فَهَذَا لَيْسَ بِقَبْضٍ وَالْأَجْرُ عَلَى الْبَائِعِ إلَّا أَنْ يَقُولَ اسْتَأْجِرْ عَلَيَّ مَنْ يَحْمِلُهُ فَقَبَضَ الْأَجِيرُ يَكُونُ قَبَضَ الْمُشْتَرَى إنْ صَدَقَهُ أَنَّهُ اسْتَأْجَرَ وَدَفَعَ إلَيْهِ وَإِنْ أَنْكَرَ اسْتِئْجَارَهُ وَالدَّفْعَ إلَيْهِ فَالْقَوْلُ قَوْلُهُ كَذَا فِي التَّتَارْخَانِيَّة وَفِي مَجْمُوعِ النَّوَازِلِ لَوْ اشْتَرَى (١) وِعَاءَ هُدَبِدٍ مِنْ قَرَوِيٍّ فِي السُّوقِ وَأَمَرَهُ بِنَقْلِهِ إلَى حَانُوتِهِ فَسَقَطَ فِي الطَّرِيقِ هَلَكَ عَلَى الْبَائِعِ وَكَذَا لَوْ اشْتَرَى وِقْرَ التِّبْنِ أَوْ الْحَطَبِ فِي الْمِصْرِ فَعَلَى الْبَائِع أَنْ يَنْقُلَهُ إلَى بَيْتِهِ وَلَوْ هَلَكَ فِي الطَّرِيقِ
…
هَلَكَ عَلَى الْبَائِعِ كَذَا فِي الْخُلَاصَةِ رَجُلٌ اشْتَرَى بَقَرَةً فَقَالَ لِلْبَائِعِ سُقْهَا إلَى مَنْزِلِك حَتَّى أَجِيءَ خَلْفَك إلَى مَنْزِلِك وَأَسُوقَهَا إلَى مَنْزِلِي فَمَاتَتْ الْبَقَرَةُ فِي يَدِ الْبَائِعِ فَإِنَّهَا تَهْلِكُ مِنْ مَالِ الْبَائِعِ فَإِنْ ادَّعَى الْبَائِعُ تَسْلِيمَ الْبَقَرَةِ كَانَ الْقَوْلُ قَوْلَ الْمُشْتَرِي مَعَ يَمِينِهِ
Al-Fataawa Al-Hindiyyah (Daar Al-Fikr, https://shamela.ws) v.3 p.19-20
وَتَسْلِيمُ الْمَبِيعِ هُوَ أَنْ يُخَلِّيَ بَيْنَ الْمَبِيعِ وَبَيْنَ الْمُشْتَرِي عَلَى وَجْهٍ يَتَمَكَّنُ الْمُشْتَرِي مِنْ قَبْضِهِ بِغَيْرِ حَائِلٍ وَكَذَا التَّسْلِيمُ فِي جَانِبِ الثَّمَنِ كَذَا فِي الذَّخِيرَةِ وَشُرِطَ فِي الْأَجْنَاسِ مَعَ ذَلِكَ أَنْ يَقُولَ خَلَّيْت بَيْنَك وَبَيْنَ الْمَبِيعِ فَاقْبِضْهُ كَذَا فِي النَّهْرِ الْفَائِقِ وَيُشِيرُ فِي التَّسْلِيمِ أَنْ يَكُونَ الْمَبِيعُ مُفْرَزًا غَيْرَ مَشْغُولٍ بِحَقِّ غَيْرِهِ هَكَذَا فِي الْوَجِيزِ لِلْكَرْدَرِيِّ
Al-Fataawa Al-Hindiyyah (Daar Al-Fikr, https://shamela.ws) v.3 p.16