Liability Of A Commission Agent
QUESTION:
Person X was selling an investment product or helping clients sign up for company A. Company A was doing very well for 2 to 3 years. After 3 years, company A started experiencing problems and stopped payouts.
Person X had no Mushaarakah deal with any investor and whatever commission he earned from Company A for sales, he put back into his own investment in Company A. Each person had their own account to log in to, and had access to Company A’s support telephone line, email or website.
When people signed up with Company A, they knew that Person X was not the owner of the company, neither did he have any control of the products or financials, and only sold under the pretence that the company was doing well.
Now the company has folded and clients are demanding their money from Person X who himself is not an owner or partner in any way. Person X himself lost a lot of money with Company A. Is Person X liable for any payments to investors when they knew the risks, knew that Person X wasn’t an owner or any partner, nor did he have any Mushaarakah deal in the investment with any investor?
ANSWER:
In the queried scenario, the agent will not be held liable if there was no violation and infringement from his side.
Disclaimer: Our Fatwa is based on the information provided to us and the ruling may change if there is any other information that reaches us.
تبيين الحقائق شرح كنز الدقائق وحاشية الشلبي (5/ 138)
قَالَ – رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ – (وَلَا يَضْمَنُ مَا تَلِفَ فِي يَدِهِ أَوْ بِعَمَلِهِ) أَمَّا الْأَوَّلُ فَلِأَنَّ الْعَيْنَ أَمَانَةٌ فِي يَدِهِ؛ لِأَنَّهُ قَبَضَهَا بِإِذْنِهِ، وَهَذَا عِنْدَ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ – رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ – ظَاهِرٌ، وَكَذَا عِنْدَهُمَا؛ لِأَنَّ تَضْمِينَ الْأَجِيرِ الْمُشْتَرَكِ كَانَ نَوْعَ اسْتِحْسَانٍ عِنْدَهُمَا صِيَانَةً لِأَمْوَالِ النَّاسِ؛ لِأَنَّهُ يَتَقَبَّلُ الْأَعْمَالَ مِنْ خَلْقٍ كَثِيرٍ رَغْبَةً فِي كَثْرَةِ الْأُجْرَةِ، وَقَدْ يَعْجِزُ عَنْ الْقِيَامِ بِهَا فَيَقْعُدُ عِنْدَهُ طَوِيلًا فَيَجِبُ عَلَيْهِ الضَّمَانُ إذَا هَلَكَتْ بِمَا يُمْكِنُ التَّحَرُّزُ عَنْهُ حَتَّى لَا يَتَوَانَى فِي حِفْظِهِمَا وَأَجِيرُ الْوَحَدِ يَعْمَلُ فِي بَيْتِ الْمُسْتَأْجِرِ وَلَا يَتَقَبَّلُ الْأَعْمَالَ مِنْ غَيْرِهِ فَأَخَذَا فِيهِ بِالْقِيَاسِ، وَأَمَّا الثَّانِي فَلِأَنَّ الْمَنَافِعَ صَارَتْ مَمْلُوكَةً لِلْمُسْتَأْجِرِ، فَإِذَا أَمَرَهُ بِالصَّرْفِ إلَى مِلْكِهِ صَحَّ وَصَارَ نَائِبًا مِنَّا بِهِ فَصَارَ فِعْلُهُ مَنْقُولًا إلَيْهِ كَأَنَّهُ فَعَلَهُ بِنَفْسِهِ وَلِأَنَّ الْبَدَلَ لَيْسَ بِمُقَابَلَةِ الْعَمَلِ بِدَلِيلِ أَنَّهُ يَسْتَحِقُّ الْأَجْرَ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يَعْمَلْ، وَهَذَا لِأَنَّ الْمَبِيعَ مَنْفَعَتُهُ وَهِيَ سَلِيمَةٌ، وَإِنَّمَا الْخَرْقُ فِي الْعَمَلِ الَّذِي هُوَ تَسْلِيمُ الْمَنْفَعَةِ وَذَلِكَ غَيْرُ مَعْقُودٍ عَلَيْهِ فَلَمْ يَكُنْ مَضْمُونًا عَلَيْهِ فَلَا يُشْتَرَطُ فِيهِ سَلَامَتُهُ فَلَا يَضْمَنُ مَا تَلِفَ بِهِ إلَّا إذَا تَعَمَّدَ الْفَسَادَ فَيَضْمَنُ لِلتَّعَدِّي كَالْمُودَعِ.
ALLAH TA’ALA ALONE IN HIS INFINITE KNOWLEDGE KNOWS BEST!
ANSWERED BY:
Mufti Abdul Kader Fazlani
Date: 19 Jumaadal-Aakhirah 1447 / 10 December 2025
CHECKED AND APPROVED BY:
Mufti Yacoob Vally Saheb