Question:-
Someone is selling data. Is it allowed for someone else to sell the same data at a higher price?
Example, If person A was selling 100GB MTN data for R500, can person B advertise this MTN 100GB to his customers at R600 (R100 of his own profit)
Then, if person C contacts person B to purchase this data, Person B will send person C’S cellphone number to person A to load this data on. Person B will collect the R600 from person C and pay person A R500. R100 as person B own profits.
Will this type of sale be valid ?
Is airtime and data considered to be Maal or a service in the Shariah ?
Kindly advise?
Answer:-
In the queried scenario, the service provider is providing a service (of supplying data) to the consumer at a fixed rate. Hence, it is not correct for ‘B’ to charge more than the rate stipulated by the service provider which is R500 for 100GB of data. Yes, if the service provider offers a certain percentage as commission to their agents for marketing their service, then such an arrangement is in order. For example, they supply the data at R450.00 to their agents and the agent then sells it at R500.00 which is the fixed rate of the service provider, then such an arrangement is in order. However, it will not be correct to sell the data at R600.00 [Re:- Ahsanul Fataawa Pg.333 Vol.7]
Yes, if the data is in printed form and ‘B’ charges a delivery fee of R100.00 for picking up the card from ‘A’ and delivering to ‘C’ then such a transaction will be in order as long as both transactors agree to the transaction.
یہ عقد اجارہ ہے ، مگر خود بجلی کا نہیں بلکہ پیدا کرنے والے اور پہنچانے والے آلات اور عملہ کا اجارہ ہے (احسن الفتاوی ص۳۳۳ ج۷)
وَلَوْ آجَرَ مَعَ مَا اسْتَأْجَرَ شَيْئًا مِنْ مَالِهِ مِمَّا يَجُوزُ أَنْ يَعْقِدَ عَلَيْهِ عَقْدَ الْإِجَارَةِ طَابَتْ لَهُ الزِّيَادَةُ. هَكَذَا فِي الْمُحِيطِ. (الفتاوي الهندية ص425 ج4)
ALLAH TA’ALA KNOWS BEST!
ANSWERED BY:
Maulana Ahmed Saeed
Date: 06 Jumadal Ukhra 1445 / 20 December 2023
CHECKED AND APPROVED BY:
Mufti Mohammed Desai Saheb
