What is the ruling of Islamic law on the e-commerce method known as dropshipping, which involves selling products that the merchant does not directly own, with the product being delivered directly from the original seller to the buyer, and the intermediary merchant being responsible for the profit and guaranteeing the buyer's right to return the item?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
We have not found any conflicting fatwas on the website regarding this type of sale, as there are many diverse forms of sale, and it is not possible to rule on all of them with a single ruling. If the seller is an agent for the product owners, then he may sell them. However, if he is not an agent and sells the displayed products without the knowledge of their owners, and without the buyer knowing that he does not own them, then this is not permissible. Furthermore, for the sale of a described item with deferred delivery (forward sale/salam sale) to be valid, the full price must be paid at the contracting session.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/172064
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- 172064
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