Is buying shares in Vodafone with the intention of trading—by patiently waiting for the price to rise or until the announcement of the budget and profits—considered usury (riba) and Haram (forbidden) in Islamic law? If so, is it permissible to sell them at the purchase price to recover the capital and avoid loss?

Some scholars, including Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, have issued a fatwa permitting subscription to and ownership of shares in "Vodafone" company. They based this on the premise that its general activity in telecommunications is permissible, and that Vodafone Qatar is an independent company from Vodafone UK. Furthermore, inaccurate information regarding usurious loans or the company providing a service with usurious interest was denied, based on official correspondence from the company. The fatwa affirmed that prohibiting what is permissible is not allowed, and that shares in companies with permissible activities that meet the [Sharia] controls are permissible by agreement of most contemporary scholars. Accordingly, it is permissible to subscribe to Vodafone shares and benefit from them.