Taking commission for steering tourists to certain shops

9-2-2005 | IslamWeb

Question:

My question is that I'm working as a tour guide for a tourist company for years. Our guests are from Europe and US. So we take commissions from tourist shops when they do their shopping from the shops which we lead them to for our profit. So shop owners give us commissions after shopping is done but tourists know nothing about this. is the commission money Halaal for us to take? Is it ok? What we should do? Please give us your guidance? Will you send the answer to my mail box thank you and last time I asked you a question but got no answer the no. of my question is 256887. Can you give your guidance for that to?

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

 

First it is worth mentioning the ruling about working in such companies which deal in tourism. It is predominant that such work includes some religious prohibitions by going to some places where sin is committed, like where intoxicants are sold, or going to dissolute places and mixing with disobedient people with whom we are not allowed to mix. So if your work involves any such prohibitions or others, then it is not permissible to carry out this kind of work or take any wages from it. However, if we suppose that there is tourism which is free from any religious prohibition, then it is acceptable to carry out this kind of work and take wages from it. As regards the commission, it is permissible to take it as long as the shops to which the tourists are taken do not sell prohibited items or propagate acts of disobedience. Anyway, it is more appropriate for a Muslim to look for another job by which he avoids these doubtful matters and is safe about his religion and honour. 

Allaah knows best.