Question Summary:
Making a profit off wakaalah

Question Detail:

Assalamualeikum, If a friend or any person asks me for a favor to buy something for him or her from the internet, can I tell him a higher price to make a profit of it. I understand morally it might look wrong because the person is asking you for the favor and he thinks you will get him the best deal and look out for his interest. For example. If person A ask person B to buy him a charger from eBay. Person B tells Person A it will cost 20 usd. But the real cost of the product in eBay is 10usd, will this be a halal transaction? Jazakallah

Answer :

In the Name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
In dealings, you must make your position clear. In the enquired situation, if you are merely doing your friend a favor, then you cannot charge him an extra amount[i].
If you wish to make a profit, then you should clarify that with your friend. Inform him that you will purchase the item and thereafter resell it to him at a profit.
In the enquired situation, you may refer to the cost of the charger and sell at a profit or you may not refer to the cost and sell at a profit. In that case, when you acquire the charger, your friend will have the right to refuse to buy the charger. If he purchases it, you will be entitled to the profit in exchange of assuming the risk of the charger.
 
And Allaah Ta’aala Knows Best
Muajul I. Chowdhury
Student Darul Iftaa
New York, USA
 
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.