Fatwa: # 30688
Category: Business Matters
Country: United States
Date: 6th October 2014

Title

Is it permissible to accept a Referral bonus?

Question

 

Few months back i moved to USA for my Studies. My questions are -

1. Regarding Credit Card referral bonus. If i refer any friend for a credit card, we both would receive a 50$ referral bonus from Credit card provider. Can i accept that bonus amount? I wan't to clarify whether this involves any kind of interest money given as bonus.

2. Similarly for various other services there is a "Refer a friend" bonus like for electricity, internet, Calling Cards, etc., Can we accept that referral amounts or is it better to avoid it? 

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

Referral bonus is a bonus specifically set up for current users who successfully refer a friend to sign up to that particular service/company. Whenever a friend successfully signs up through your referral, your account will be deposited with such a referral bonus.[1]

It is permissible to accept such referral bonuses. The bonus will be categorized as a conditional goodwill (Tabaaru-e-Mashroot) by the company. This type of a conditional goodwill (Tabarru-e-Mashroot) is permissible in Shari’ah[2], as it does not entail any form of Qimaar (gambling) or Riba (interest).  

A credit card can be used in a Shari’ah compliant way and it can be used in a non-Shari’ah compliant way by taking an interest loan. If the card holder used the card in a wrong and non-Shari’ah compliant way, the card holder will be responsible for the sin, not the person who made the referral.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Arshad Ali

Student Darul Iftaa
Trinidad

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

http://www.daruliftaa.net/


[2] وَيَصِحُّ تَعْلِيقُ هِبَةٍ وَحَوَالَةٍ وَكَفَالَةٍ وَإِبْرَاءٍ عَنْهَا بِمُلَائِمٍ { الدر المختار، ج 5، ص 255، دار الفكر-بيروت }

 

(وَمَا) يَصِحُّ وَ (لَا يَبْطُلُ بِالشَّرْطِ الْفَاسِدِ).... كَوَهَبْتُكَ هَذِهِ الْمِائَةَ أَوْ تَصَدَّقْت عَلَيْك بِهَا عَلَى أَنْ تَخْدُمَنِي سَنَةً نَهْرٌ، فَتَصِحُّ وَيَبْطُلُ الشَّرْطُ لِأَنَّهُ فَاسِدٌ وَفِي جَامِعِ الْفُصُولَيْنِ: وَيَصِحُّ تَعْلِيقُ الْهِبَةِ بِشَرْطٍ مُلَائِمٍ كَوَهَبْتُكَ عَلَى أَنْ تُعَوِّضَنِي كَذَا، وَلَوْ مُخَالِفًا تَصِحُّ الْهِبَةُ لَا الشَّرْطُ. { رد المحتار على الدر المختار، ج 5، ص 249، دار الفكر-بيروت }

 

رَجُلٌ قَالَ لِآخَرَ : مَنْ أَكَلَ مِنْ مَالِي فَهُوَ فِي حِلٍّ ، الْفَتْوَى عَلَى أَنَّهُ يَحِلُّ ، كَذَا فِي السِّرَاجِيَّةِ { الفتاوى الهندية، ج 5، ص 345} .

 

إذا وضع الرجل مقداراً من السكر، أو عدداً من الدراهم بين قوم، وقال: من شاء أخذ منه شيئاً، أو قال: من أخذ منه شيئاً فهو له، فكل (من أخذ) منه شيئاً يصير ملكاً له، ولا يكون لغيره أن يأخذ ذلك منه؛ لأن هذا بمنزلة الهبة منه { المحيط البرهاني، ج 5، ص 353/354، دار الكتب العلمية، بيروت – لبنان }  .

 

احسن الفتاوي، ج 7، ص 259/260، ايج ايم سعيد كمبني

 

جامع الفتاوي، ج 9، ص 223، اداره تاليفات اشرفيه

 

فتاوي دار العلوم زكريا، ج 5، ص 485-496، زمزم ببلشرز

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