Question
Is it permissible to profit from being a middleman?
Answer
Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,
Dear questioner,
Thank you for your important question.
Yes, it is perfectly fine to profit from being a middle man. If, for example, you rent a property from person X for $2,000 and then rent it out to Y for $3,000, it is permissible. (With property specifically, you would need to have the owner’s permission to sublease.) (al-Ahkam al-Adliyya)
Similarly, if you charge Y $1,000 for a given known service and then pay X $500 to complete it for you, it is perfectly fine. The issue would be that Y knows that it is not specifically you who will do it.
For example, let’s say you want a specific dentist to do some dental work on your son. If you stipulated that that dentist does it, it is not permissible for him to have his qualified assistant do it instead. But if it is just a defined and clear yet generic service (ijarat dhimma), that any qualified individual could do, then it is perfectly fine.
Please also see:
I pray this helps.
[Ustadh] Farid
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadh Farid Dingle has completed extensive years of study in the sciences of the Arabic language and the various Islamic Sciences. During his studies, he also earned a CIFE Certificate in Islamic Finance. Over the years, he has developed a masterful ability to craft lessons that help non-Arabic speakers gain a deep understanding of the language. He currently teaches courses in the Arabic Language.