TUPPERWARE MYSTERY PACK
Q. Recently, Tupperware, which is a popular container manufacturer, offered a special called the “Summer Surprise”. The offer entailed the purchase of a mystery pack for R230 and the pack will contain Tupperware products to the value of R400 – R500. Many Muslims are purchasing this product and many Muslim women were agents who were selling this product. Is this permissible?
(There may be grammatical and spelling errors in the above question. Questions are published as received)
A. In principle, the sale of an items that’s contents are unknown is impermissible. For example, if A sells to B his warehouse with its contents being unknown and unspecified, the sale will be invalid due the possibility of there being a blatant difference in what the purchaser was expecting.
However, if the ignorance with regards to the contents of the item is not blatant, it will be permissible. The Fuqahaa have cited the example of a person selling a pouch or box with unspecified contents. This is permissible. The mystery pack sold by Tupperware is similar to this and is thus, permissible to purchase and sell. (Raddul Muhtar, Vol: 5, Pg: 129, Darul Fikr, al-Bahrur Ra’iq, Vol: 5, Pg: 295, Darul Kitab al-Islami)
Mufti Suhail Tarmahomed
Confirmation:
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Fatwa Department
Jamiatul Ulama (KZN)
Council of Muslim Theologians
(There may be grammatical and spelling errors in the above question. Questions are published as received)
A. In principle, the sale of an items that’s contents are unknown is impermissible. For example, if A sells to B his warehouse with its contents being unknown and unspecified, the sale will be invalid due the possibility of there being a blatant difference in what the purchaser was expecting.
However, if the ignorance with regards to the contents of the item is not blatant, it will be permissible. The Fuqahaa have cited the example of a person selling a pouch or box with unspecified contents. This is permissible. The mystery pack sold by Tupperware is similar to this and is thus, permissible to purchase and sell. (Raddul Muhtar, Vol: 5, Pg: 129, Darul Fikr, al-Bahrur Ra’iq, Vol: 5, Pg: 295, Darul Kitab al-Islami)
Mufti Suhail Tarmahomed
Confirmation:
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Fatwa Department
Jamiatul Ulama (KZN)
Council of Muslim Theologians