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Fatwa CenterEmployer's approval needed for employee's commission from customers
Question
Salam'Alaikum. I had applied for a secretary but due to my well experienced in many fields or so called multi skilled worker, so the owner put me as a sales manager, though am doing an all around job like secretary, admin, accountant,purchasing and logistics, and online marketing. And earning a salary of US817 per month, he promised that he will increase my salary after 3months, but it never happened. Am working for over a year now. And he put me as for purchasing as well for our offshore customer and said that I'll be getting salary from them so I agreed at least to get some extra income as the salary which am getting is not enough for my family. But several months had passed I never get anything from them. So the next time for another purchasing I asked the owner to put at least US0.217 dollar for each piece for me as a compensation and he agreed, but after the transaction he said it should goes to the company and not for me but I insist, and besides I made profit for the company. So another inquiry from the offshore customer for purchasing, they like the price which am giving as it 3X cheaper from the other supplier. So my supplier said he will give me commission from him side as I told him what had happened. Then the owner asked me if I will get percent from the supplier then I said yes but I don't know how much and the owner said it's haram and he also wants to know from my supplier where is he getting the items from, definitely my supplier will not disclosed otherwise we will go directly to his supplier. So he said to the offshore customer not to tAke from my supplier as he's telling them maybe it's fake and he said a lot of things against the credibility of my supplier. The reason he acted that way because he did not get what he wants. We argue many times because of his attitude when it comes to money. So please advise me if the commission which I supposed to get from my supplier is haram? Thank you so much for your time reading this.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.
We will sum up the answer to your questions in the following points:
Firstly, there are some details regarding the ruling of charging additional costs on customers more than the original price of the commodity. The most important point is that if you buy goods for the store and after getting them you agree with the customer on its price and add an extra amount as profit, then there is no harm in this. Also, if you directly buy goods for the customer like agents and add an extra sum to the price as wages for the efforts you made to bring him the goods and inform him about that, in this way there is no harm as well. But if you buy goods for the customer and increase their price without informing him, then it is not permissible for you to do so.
Secondly, regarding the ruling of receiving commission from the supplier, the answer is that you are not allowed to take it without the permission of the employer.
Thirdly, you have the right to ask your employer to honor his promise to you regarding raising your salary. If he did not respond, you may quit and not renew the contract with him after its period comes to an end.
Fourthly, you have to note that not all jobs befit a woman nor is she allowed to practice all jobs. It should be a lawful one in which she is not exposed to be alone with non-Mahram (marriageable) men and to the prohibited mixing with them. Also, she should adhere firmly to the proper Hijab, according to Sharee‘ah, Islamic teachings, and not speak softly with non-Mahram men and the like of the etiquettes that the woman should adhere to in such cases. For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 83607.
Allaah Knows best.
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