Dear Scholor Asalamo-alykom,
In 2011 i invested in Ballard Power systems. The main Business of the company at the time of my investment was in the field of the production of fuel cells for the automobile, telecom and backup power industry.
Recently, I think it was in 2015, the company acquired as its subsidiary Protonex. Protonex is in the business of making fuel cell back up power for electronic items such as GPS and communication for the US military. The protonex subsidiary is now actively selling to the US military.
Total revenue Q3 for Ballard power systems was 20,6M. Protonex contribution was 3,1M.
Please could you advice me as regards to the permissibility of my investment. What should I do with it? Should I sell my shares in the company or keep them for the reason that the main business is halal? If keeping the shares would be permissible would I need to work out how much of the income, in respect to my portion, is coming from protonex and when selling the shares deduct this amount and give it away in charity?
Jazak-Allah Khair.
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
It would be advisable to sell all your shares in the company. The dividends you received for your shares in the company and the income you will receive by selling your shares will be permissible.[1]
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Abdullah ibn Mohammed Aijaz
Student, Darul Iftaa
Baltimore, USA
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.