Is Rental Income Halal?
1. Al-Maun – الماعُون seems to expect believers to share their stuff with others for free. What is the evidence from Quran or Sunnah that rent is halal? 2. The evil of riba, as sir Ghamidi has described in his videos on Riba, is also found in a rent transaction. For example, (a) it being a surplus resource is supposed to be shared with the needy any way so how can one ask for a mark up or (b) asking for a mark up is going to cause too much of hardship to the borrower as he has to “create” something to repay you. Please can any one help me understand the above points?
Quran chapter 107 (Al-Maun) is about a person who denies the truth and the day of judgement as evident from verse 1. This chapter personifies Abu Lahab who was the head of the treasury of the house of God. It has nothing about giving everything out for free. Riba is just one application of the principle injunction of not unjustly devouring other people’s wealth (Quran 4:29). There can be many other such applications and they all will stand haram. The concept of hardship in recreating wealth is only applicable in transactions involving consumable items. Once such an item is consumed (e.g. money or grain), that item itself must be recreated in addition to whatever additional amount (riba) must be paid back. When a person has to recreate wealth in such a manner, he has to borrow more. This creates a viscous cycle that’s extremely hard, and sometimes even impossible to get out of. When the underlying item is a non-consumable, it can be returned at any time with a reasonable usage fee (rent). Rental transactions always take place when the underlying item is a non-consumable, and there’s nothing inherently wrong with it. Of course, even in such transactions one should be mindful of the principle of justice.
The explanation for non-consumables was shared in my previous response. It can be returned at anytime. As for Quran chapter 107, please read the verses you shared above in the of context previous verses.