Some companies put the buyer in a pyramid scheme without him wanting that
Question We found out from your site that with regard to companies that deal with pyramid schemes, it is permissible to deal with them, buying and selling and so on, so long as one avoids what is haraam, which is entering into these haraam pyramid schemes. But it has become apparent that some of them…
Question
Praise be to Allah.
It is not permissible to join pyramid marketing schemes,
because they are based on deception, gambling and consuming people’s
wealth unlawfully. See the answer to question no.
97880 and what it contains
of references.
If a person buys some product and does not want to enter into
this scheme, but the company brings him into it, it is not permissible for
him to continue subscribing, because continuing in an invalid contract is
like entering into it in the first place.
Hence the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
said in his Farewell Sermon: “The riba of the Jaahiliyyah is abolished, and
the first riba that I abolish is our riba, the riba of ‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd
al-Muttalib; it is all abolished.” Narrated by Muslim, 1218.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stated
that invalid riba-based contracts of the Jaahiliyyah were abolished and that
it was haraam to continue with them, even though they had been drawn up
before that, and in fact had been drawn up before the prohibition on them
had been revealed from Allah. This is clear in the words of Allah, may He be
exalted (interpretation of the meaning):
“So whosoever receives an admonition from his Lord and
stops consuming Riba, shall not be punished for the past; his case is for
Allaah (to judge); but whoever returns (to Riba), such are the dwellers of
the Fire — they will abide therein”
[al-Baqarah 2:275].
And Allah knows best.
