Ruling on Fake Purchases to Promote Products: Egypt’s Dar Al-Ifta Explains
Egypt’s Dar Al-Ifta explains the Islamic ruling on fake purchases made to boost product popularity and earn commissions, warning against deception, fraud, and price manipulation.
Ruling on Fake Purchases to Promote Products: Egypt’s Dar Al-Ifta Explains
Egypt’s Dar Al-Ifta has addressed the ruling on fake product purchases carried out to make products appear more popular and create the impression of high demand, confirming that such practices involve several prohibited elements under Islamic law.
What Is the Ruling on Fake Product Purchases?
Dar Al-Ifta explained that making fake purchases simply to make products appear popular and encourage people to buy them, particularly when the person receives a commission for doing so, involves several religious violations. According to the ruling, these practices can constitute deception, fraud, and false representation, because the apparent purchase does not reflect a genuine transaction.
Deception in Fake Purchases
Dar Al-Ifta identified the artificial nature of the transaction as one of the main concerns. A person may appear to be a genuine customer while, in reality, the purchase is only intended to create a false impression of demand. This can mislead potential buyers into believing that a product is receiving genuine interest from consumers, even though the apparent demand has been artificially created.
Fake Purchases and Najsh
The practice may also fall under najsh, a form of misleading others into purchasing a product by creating a false impression regarding demand or interest in the product. Because the transaction combines several forms of deception and manipulation, Dar Al-Ifta considers this type of fake purchasing impermissible.
What Is the Ruling on Selling Products That Harm Others?
Dar Al-Ifta also addressed the ruling on selling products that may cause harm to other people. The general principle is that buying and selling are permissible, based on the Quranic verse: “Allah has permitted trade and forbidden usury.” [Quran 2:275] However, when a sale involves a prohibited element, such as causing harm to another person, its ruling changes from permissibility to prohibition.
The Principle of “No Harm and No Reciprocating Harm”
Dar Al-Ifta explained that protecting human life and intellect is among the fundamental objectives of Islamic law. Islam therefore prohibits actions that can cause harm to people or damage their health. The ruling refers to the established legal principle: “There should be neither harm nor reciprocating harm.” This principle plays an important role in preventing actions that may cause harm to individuals or communities.
Does Any Form of Harm Prohibit a Sale?
Dar Al-Ifta explained that prohibited harm includes both minor and major forms of harm. The general principle is to prevent actions that cause harm unless Islamic law specifically permits them because of a legitimate religious benefit. Protecting human life therefore includes avoiding products and practices that can negatively affect a person’s health or well-being.
Conclusion
The ruling issued by Egypt’s Dar Al-Ifta makes clear that fake product purchases designed to create artificial demand or deceive consumers in exchange for commissions involve prohibited practices, including fraud, deception, and najsh. Similarly, while trade is generally permissible, selling products that cause established harm to others becomes prohibited under the Islamic principle of “no harm and no reciprocating harm.” FAQ
What is the Islamic ruling on fake product purchases?
Dar Al-Ifta considers fake purchases intended to artificially increase product popularity and deceive consumers impermissible because they involve deception and najsh.
Why are fake purchases considered deceptive?
Because they create the false impression that genuine customers are buying the product, even though the transactions are merely intended to increase apparent demand.
What is najsh?
Najsh refers to misleading others into buying a product by creating a false impression regarding its demand, value, or level of interest.
What is the ruling on selling harmful products?
Trade is generally permissible, but selling products that cause harm to people becomes prohibited when the sale involves such harm.
What does “no harm and no reciprocating harm” mean?
It is an Islamic legal principle that prohibits causing harm to oneself or others and is applied across many areas of Islamic jurisprudence.
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