Selling Cigarettes Lest He Loses Customers

28-3-2019 | IslamWeb

Question:

I am running a hypermarket with my partners and almost 10% of the total sale is cigarettes. I am afraid that If I stop selling cigarettes, I will lose significant number of customers which in turn may lead to losses and shutting down of business.Please note that my core business is not sale of tobacco products and being a hypermarket I am supposed to keep everything for the customers. If cigarette is not sold, customers will go to other shops where they can buy everything including cigarettes.As tobacco products are not my core business and considering the risk of running business in to loss, is that permissible to continue selling tobacco products or do I need to avoid selling tobacco products at any cost?
Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

Our answer to your question is found in the Saying Allah (which means): {And if you fear privation, Allah will enrich you from His bounty if He wills. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Wise.} [Quran 9:28], and in the saying of the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ): "The Holy Spirit (Jibreel [Gabriel]) has inspired to me that no soul will die until it has completed its appointed term and received its provision in full, so fear Allah and do not be desperate in seeking sustenance, and no one of you should be tempted to seek sustenance by means of committing sin if it is slow in coming to him, because what is with Allah can only be attained by obeying Him." [Ibn Mardawayh, and Al-Albaani classified it as sound]

So fear Allah in what you sell and don’t be deceived by the whispers of the devil that you will lose customers if you stop selling what is not permissible; even if selling it brings an abundant profit and will bring many customers.

Allah Says (what means): {Satan threatens you with poverty and orders you to immorality, while Allah promises you forgiveness from Him and bounty. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing.} [Quran 2: 268]

Whoever abandons something for the sake of Allah, then Allah will compensate him with something better.

For more benefit, please refer to Fataawa 354466 and 195859.

Allah knows best.

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