The Ruling on the Profession of Brokerage and Taking a Fee for It
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Question:
He says: We observe that many people make their living through brokerage. All these brokers do is facilitate a deal between the seller and the buyer, with the broker receiving a commission of such-and-such percentage. Is this profession permissible? Knowing that many brokers swear false oaths to the seller or the buyer to get them to agree to complete the sale, and some brokers hide defects in the item being sold from the buyer so that the sale is completed. We ask you to guide us. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
Brokerage is permissible, as long as he takes his share. He sells so-and-so’s land, so-and-so’s house, or so-and-so’s car, and takes a fee; there is nothing wrong with that. But it is not permissible for him to lie, nor to deceive the seller, nor to deceive the buyer. It is forbidden for him. He should advise both of them, not conceal defects, and not lie to the owner of the goods. He should not say, “This is its price,” when he is lying for the buyer’s benefit.
The point is that he must be sincere in his advice and guard against lying and hiding defects. If he does any of this, he has committed a sin, and his earnings become corrupt. But he must fear Allah, advise both the seller and the buyer, and clear his conscience. It is not permissible for him to conceal defects, deceive, betray trust, or lie, whether to the buyer or the seller. His duty is to be sincere to Allah and to the servants of Allah. By doing so, his profession is permissible, and his fee is permissible. But if he deceives people, betrays trust, and lies, he has engaged in a great evil. We ask Allah for safety. His brokerage then contains much harm, and it does not make his earnings lawful because of his deception, betrayal, and lying. We ask Allah for safety.
The presenter : O Allah, amen. May Allah reward you with good.
He says: We observe that many people make their living through brokerage. All these brokers do is facilitate a deal between the seller and the buyer, with the broker receiving a commission of such-and-such percentage. Is this profession permissible? Knowing that many brokers swear false oaths to the seller or the buyer to get them to agree to complete the sale, and some brokers hide defects in the item being sold from the buyer so that the sale is completed. We ask you to guide us. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
Brokerage is permissible, as long as he takes his share. He sells so-and-so’s land, so-and-so’s house, or so-and-so’s car, and takes a fee; there is nothing wrong with that. But it is not permissible for him to lie, nor to deceive the seller, nor to deceive the buyer. It is forbidden for him. He should advise both of them, not conceal defects, and not lie to the owner of the goods. He should not say, “This is its price,” when he is lying for the buyer’s benefit.
The point is that he must be sincere in his advice and guard against lying and hiding defects. If he does any of this, he has committed a sin, and his earnings become corrupt. But he must fear Allah, advise both the seller and the buyer, and clear his conscience. It is not permissible for him to conceal defects, deceive, betray trust, or lie, whether to the buyer or the seller. His duty is to be sincere to Allah and to the servants of Allah. By doing so, his profession is permissible, and his fee is permissible. But if he deceives people, betrays trust, and lies, he has engaged in a great evil. We ask Allah for safety. His brokerage then contains much harm, and it does not make his earnings lawful because of his deception, betrayal, and lying. We ask Allah for safety.
The presenter : O Allah, amen. May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.