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Is it permissible for shop owners to ask for money in exchange for hospitality, and is it obligatory to pay the full amount if requested?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

If it is customary to offer hospitality and no price is mentioned, the host has no right to demand money, as there is no sale; rather, it is a gift and a donation. If the giver says, "I have made you the owner of it," and does not mention any compensation, and there is no indication thereof, then it is a gift. If they dispute, and the giver says, "It is a loan," and the recipient says, "It is a gift," then the statement of the recipient is accepted, that it is a gift. And offering food is permission to eat, so no payment is required to the host.

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

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