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What is the ruling on online trading by displaying pictures of clothes that the merchant does not own, and requesting a deposit from the female buyer before purchasing them, with her knowledge that they are not available to him but are specially ordered?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

It is permissible to conduct a transaction according to a Murabaha contract, whereby the requested commodity is purchased and sold at a specified profit. It is also permissible to stipulate a sum of money (seriousness margin) to ensure the customer's seriousness, and this amount serves as a trust. Should the customer withdraw, the seller has the right to take a portion of the amount equivalent to the actual damage incurred, which is the difference between the cost of the commodity and its selling price to someone other than the original ordering party. This compensation does not include lost opportunity. Upon completion of the sale, the seriousness margin must be returned to the customer, and it is permissible to agree to deduct it from the price of the commodity when the contract is concluded.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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