Is it permissible for me to ask a seller who offers installment plans to purchase a property he does not own, with my promise to buy it from him in installments at a pre-determined profit? If he actually purchases it, is it then valid for me to buy it from him in installments? And what is the ruling if we do not specify the profit beforehand?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
This transaction falls under Murabaha (cost-plus financing) sale. It is not necessary to pre-determine the profit that the buyer will pay to the seller in installments, because what happens between them initially is a promise to purchase, not a binding contract. Therefore, there is no harm in some ambiguity or generality regarding the profit. However, when the transaction is concluded, everything must be clearly defined to prevent uncertainty and (excessive ambiguity/risk).
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/45881
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 45881
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy