Question:

Recently, I found a couple of websites that let you invest with them, however dealing with them doesn't look as usury as it works different that being usury. For example: www.studiotraffic.com, www.12dailypro.com. They let you invest any amount less than 6000 dollars. 1) Which you can't withdraw once you invested. 2) And you get a constant percentage of your invested money 'If and Only If' you work for them (the work is surfing advertisement for them, the advertisements are supervision). If you don't surf the advertisement for them, you never get paid anything, and you lose your money, and if you surf the ads for them, you get a constant % of your total money invested. All this for limited days and then your investment finishes and you get back the profit. For more details, please check the 2 websites posted and read their FAQs and Terms. Please I need a detailed answer. Because many of Muslims are involved in this without they know whether it is Halaal or no, they think it is Halaal.

Fatwa:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

What you asked about is nothing but a hiring contract to work in this company in order to surf some websites in return for a percentage based on the amount one invested at the beginning. This amount is not given back to him whether or not he worked for them. There is no doubt that the company which takes this amount from the person is nothing but cheating and gambling, and this is forbidden in our religion. Allah Says (what means): {O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters [to other than Allah], and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it.} [Quran 5:90].

Moreover, Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "The Prophet forbade selling by throwing stones and forbade selling by deceit.'' [Muslim]

Selling by deceit is a sale in which the outcome is unknown, and one is not sure to get the goods or not, so this is nothing but gambling. Since this is forbidden in selling, it is also forbidden in hiring. The scholars, may Allah have mercy on them, said: 'Hiring in this context is like buying, as in reality the sale is nothing but selling in return for a benefit.'

Furthermore, it is not permissible for the company one works for to take any amount (i.e. from the invested money) in return for his work as a hired person in it, as the company deducts this money from the hired person without any right and without any justification.

Hiring, as defined by scholars, may Allah have mercy on them, is a contract on things from which one could benefit in return for some money. For this hiring to be valid, the same conditions as that of sale have to be met; which is that the wages should be known and pure, which one can benefit from and from which one is able to acquire. The benefit from this should be the same.

Based on the above, the subject about which you asked contains some prohibitions:

1- The company pays a commission without any religious benefit, but this is just to surf websites to show to the people who deal with them that their site is widely visited by surfers and this encourages them to buy their product through these sites, and this is clear cheating and it is forbidden.

2- The person who participates in this company might have paid an amount for which he will gain something that is not justified religiously, but just in order to get a gain through that method.

3- The hiring contract is not defined, but it is a commission based on a given amount, and this may decrease or increase according to the choice of the customer. This may take the form of two sales in one sale. Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "The Prophet forbade two sales in one sale." [At-Tirmithi, An-Nasaa'i]

4- After visiting the said website, it became clear that it contains other religious prohibitions.

Based on all the above, it is not permissible to participate in such websites.

Allah knows best.

Fatwa answered by: The Fatwa Center at Islamweb