What is the ruling on raising the price on the invoice to obtain a commission when purchasing?
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Question:
One of the brothers, an editor at an Islamic magazine, says: “Peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you. I ask you to kindly present my question to the people of expertise and opinion. The question says: I am a paint dealer who sells in bulk and retail. Brothers from among the painters come to me asking to be given a commission, or rather a sum of money, Honorable Shaykh, in exchange for purchasing the paint. The purchase price does not matter to them, because the owner or the building owner has tasked them with buying the paint and will pay the value of the invoice from his own pocket. He says: I will give an example, briefly. The value of the paint is two hundred riyals. The selling price is added to the value of the commission, which is added to the price of the paint, so the invoice is written in this form: 230, because I took a commission of 30 riyals, making the paint 230, and that is what is written on the invoice. The owner pays it from his own pocket and does not know that the real price is two hundred riyals, not 230. If I do not do this, I cannot sell the paint or deal with the brothers, because the paint requires that purchase from me. Is it permissible for me to do this work or not? This work.”
Answer:
It is not permissible, because it is lying and betrayal of these agents. It is not permissible for you to agree with them to this lie. Rather, it is obligatory that you write the true value of the paint on the invoice. Their right is upon the client; yes, it is upon their client. If they are workers for him, they have no right except their salary. If they are brokers who buy for him by agency, meaning as intermediaries, then their right is upon him, and their commission is upon him. It should not be in this manner where you merge it with the value and deceive the client into thinking the entire sum is the value of the paints, whereas the value is 100 riyals and the 30 is an agreement between you and these traitors. This is a matter that is not permissible, even if it occurs frequently and people are lenient with it, under the pretext that the shop owners say, “If we do not do this, they will not come to buy from us.” This does not justify lying and participating in sin. It is obligatory to be truthful, and it is obligatory to clarify the matter of these people. If this questioner and other shop owners agreed to rebuke these people and inform their clients about this practice, many of them would refrain from it. But that they flatter them and agree with them in this lie, that is what has popularized this bad profession. Yes. And.
The presenter:
His role, and he knows the Islamic ruling in such a case, this merchant’s role is to be bound to truthfulness, and not to write on the invoice except the true value. Also, to advise them, and to clarify to them that this is a forbidden matter, and a deception of their client. Yes.
One of the brothers, an editor at an Islamic magazine, says: “Peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you. I ask you to kindly present my question to the people of expertise and opinion. The question says: I am a paint dealer who sells in bulk and retail. Brothers from among the painters come to me asking to be given a commission, or rather a sum of money, Honorable Shaykh, in exchange for purchasing the paint. The purchase price does not matter to them, because the owner or the building owner has tasked them with buying the paint and will pay the value of the invoice from his own pocket. He says: I will give an example, briefly. The value of the paint is two hundred riyals. The selling price is added to the value of the commission, which is added to the price of the paint, so the invoice is written in this form: 230, because I took a commission of 30 riyals, making the paint 230, and that is what is written on the invoice. The owner pays it from his own pocket and does not know that the real price is two hundred riyals, not 230. If I do not do this, I cannot sell the paint or deal with the brothers, because the paint requires that purchase from me. Is it permissible for me to do this work or not? This work.”
Answer:
It is not permissible, because it is lying and betrayal of these agents. It is not permissible for you to agree with them to this lie. Rather, it is obligatory that you write the true value of the paint on the invoice. Their right is upon the client; yes, it is upon their client. If they are workers for him, they have no right except their salary. If they are brokers who buy for him by agency, meaning as intermediaries, then their right is upon him, and their commission is upon him. It should not be in this manner where you merge it with the value and deceive the client into thinking the entire sum is the value of the paints, whereas the value is 100 riyals and the 30 is an agreement between you and these traitors. This is a matter that is not permissible, even if it occurs frequently and people are lenient with it, under the pretext that the shop owners say, “If we do not do this, they will not come to buy from us.” This does not justify lying and participating in sin. It is obligatory to be truthful, and it is obligatory to clarify the matter of these people. If this questioner and other shop owners agreed to rebuke these people and inform their clients about this practice, many of them would refrain from it. But that they flatter them and agree with them in this lie, that is what has popularized this bad profession. Yes. And.
The presenter:
His role, and he knows the Islamic ruling in such a case, this merchant’s role is to be bound to truthfulness, and not to write on the invoice except the true value. Also, to advise them, and to clarify to them that this is a forbidden matter, and a deception of their client. Yes.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، ما حكم رفع سعر الفاتورة للحصول على عمولة عند الشراء؟ الشيخ صالح بن فوزان الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.