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Fatwa CenterCustomer must know how much middleman in transaction receives
Question
asalam we3likoum I have a question about a kind of a business which is for example I am going to look for someone who needs a service for example a person who needs a book covers for his book and he says that he pays 150 dollars for the person that he would do that for him so what I would do I will contact that person and say to him that I can find you someone who can do a book cover for you and then I would look for someone who can do the work for a cheaper price so that I would have more money and keep the the rest of the money and this person would charge for example 30 dollars for the work (the person that do the book cover) and I would keep the rest of the money of the first person that he gave me 150 dollars so is this halal?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
There is no harm in you searching for someone to do the service for that person for a price lower than what he offers, but you are not entitled to take the difference without his knowledge. You may agree with him that you are going to search for someone to do the work for him in return for a determined commission, or that you will receive the difference between the amount agreed with the service provider and the amount offered by your customer.
In a transaction involving an intermediary, it is required that the person from whom you receive the money knows about it; otherwise, it will consist in consuming his money unjustly, which is one of the major sins. Allaah says (what means): {And do not consume one another's wealth unjustly or send it [in bribery] to the rulers in order that [they might aid] you [to] consume a portion of the wealth of the people in sin, while you know [it is unlawful].} [Quran 2:188]
We have mentioned that it is required that the person from whom you receive the money knows about it because the intermediary or brokerage transaction in reality involves Ji'aalah, i.e. a payment in return for the performance of a job, and this requires an offer and an acceptance between the two contracting parties in the Ji'aalah.
Allaah Knows best.
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