Fatwa n° 541

Category: Fatwas about monetary transactions – Donations

The ruling concerning of gifts granted
 for advertising purposes

Question:

What is the ruling regarding the advertising gifts distributed by companies? Knowing that their costs are deducted from the value of taxes. May Allah reward you.

Answer:

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Peace and blessing be upon whom Allah sent as a mercy to the Worlds, upon his Family, his Companions and his Brothers until the Day of Resurrection:

If the organizers of the advertising gifts aim at making the commercial companies as well as the quality of the product publicly known by means of advertising, in addition to getting their money back by reducing taxes that are imposed upon them; in such a case, I consider that there is no problem to use these kind of gifts and distribute them according to the advertising regions. And on condition that these gifts do not coincide with the heretical ceremonies such as the New Year’s Eve party or the end of the Hegira year party, or have an ideological distinctive feature which is religiously prohibited, or comprise the workers’ gifts or entail harm to the traders. For these reasons and the religious prohibitions, these gifts are forbidden.

However, if the gifts are devoid of the aforementioned reasons and religious prohibitions, then principally they are permissible.

The perfect knowledge belongs to Allah عزَّ وجلَّ; and our last prayer is all the praises and thanks are to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and prayers of Allah are to Muhammad and his Family, Companions and Brothers until the Day of Resurrection.

Algiers on: Rajab the 21^th, 1427 H

Corresponding to August the 15^th, 2006 G.