What is the ruling on selling visas, and what should one do with the money obtained from such transactions?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you. He says:The questioner : What is the ruling on selling visas, and what should one do with the money obtained from such transactions?
The Shaykh : I am asked this question often, but I do not understand what is meant by selling visas. So I pause here. Who can explain it to us?
The student: I, I. This one, O long-lived one, goes out and obtains permits from the municipality—ten permits, fifteen permits—and he gathers Pakistanis and Indians and sells them for five thousand, and that is it. His last deal with the permit is this: if he sells them, he receives the money.
The Shaykh : Meaning, he obtains permits.
The student: Yes, and if...
The Shaykh : From the government?
The student: Yes, from the government...
The Shaykh : Then someone comes and says?
The student: He says, I have three brothers in Pakistan, and I obtained three visas for them...
The Shaykh : In any case, if the matter is as you have said, that a person lies to the state and submits an application to recruit workers when he has no need for them, then the state should punish this man. It should punish him, because his lying to the state and bringing in workers, or lying to the state and then selling the recruitment permit, is undoubtedly something for which he should be disciplined as the situation requires. Also, we hear that some people recruit workers and then neglect them, saying, "Go and work, and give me so much and so much every month." This is also wrong, and the money they take from them is not lawful, because they took it without right. So, my brothers, it is not permissible for us to manipulate the state's regulations or to manipulate people, because if these workers become numerous in the country and have no work, they will be of no benefit to the country. The obligatory thing in such matters is for a person to consider himself as the government, exactly like the government. If he is not pleased that anyone deceives him, then it is not permissible for him to deceive the government or lie to it.
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : If he obtains a visa from the government and does not need the workers, he should return it to the government. This is the obligation.
The questioner : ... I paid eight thousand...
The Shaykh : If you know that this man is deceiving the government, then you are sinful, because you are assisting him in sin.
The questioner : He had work...
The Shaykh : I am asked this question often, but I do not understand what is meant by selling visas. So I pause here. Who can explain it to us?
The student: I, I. This one, O long-lived one, goes out and obtains permits from the municipality—ten permits, fifteen permits—and he gathers Pakistanis and Indians and sells them for five thousand, and that is it. His last deal with the permit is this: if he sells them, he receives the money.
The Shaykh : Meaning, he obtains permits.
The student: Yes, and if...
The Shaykh : From the government?
The student: Yes, from the government...
The Shaykh : Then someone comes and says?
The student: He says, I have three brothers in Pakistan, and I obtained three visas for them...
The Shaykh : In any case, if the matter is as you have said, that a person lies to the state and submits an application to recruit workers when he has no need for them, then the state should punish this man. It should punish him, because his lying to the state and bringing in workers, or lying to the state and then selling the recruitment permit, is undoubtedly something for which he should be disciplined as the situation requires. Also, we hear that some people recruit workers and then neglect them, saying, "Go and work, and give me so much and so much every month." This is also wrong, and the money they take from them is not lawful, because they took it without right. So, my brothers, it is not permissible for us to manipulate the state's regulations or to manipulate people, because if these workers become numerous in the country and have no work, they will be of no benefit to the country. The obligatory thing in such matters is for a person to consider himself as the government, exactly like the government. If he is not pleased that anyone deceives him, then it is not permissible for him to deceive the government or lie to it.
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : If he obtains a visa from the government and does not need the workers, he should return it to the government. This is the obligation.
The questioner : ... I paid eight thousand...
The Shaykh : If you know that this man is deceiving the government, then you are sinful, because you are assisting him in sin.
The questioner : He had work...