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What is the ruling on participating in an online society (jam'iyyah) that transforms the traditional concept of a society into an internet-based one, and includes: the participant choosing an available rank according to their capabilities, a contract between the user and the company to define obligations, sending the society's amount to the user after they sign a trust receipt for the remaining amount, the company charging administrative fees that vary according to the participant's role, and the company proposing a financial incentive for those who reserve the last ranks?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The method of operating electronic associations (jam'iyyat) involves a Sharia issue due to the varying fees deducted from individuals based on their turn. This makes the increase akin to a benefit in exchange for the early borrowing time, and a loan is not permissible to draw a benefit for anyone other than the borrower. In addition, if the organizing company guarantees the participants' funds, this presents another issue. Furthermore, the financial incentive for those who book later turns makes participation a loan that draws benefit for its owner, thereby fulfilling the meaning of usury (riba).

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

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