He invented a product and sold it to a middleman to sell it to the company where he works without the company knowing

I have been working as an engineer in a petroleum services company for
ten years. My basic job is maintaining the company's equipment and
providing technical support, but other tasks have been added to my job
over the last ten years. My company treatsme like anyone else, or less
than that, because I do not demand increases in my salary as others
do; rather I wait for the company to evaluate me, which has only
happened once or twice. I began to invent things for my company and I
was promised more than once that I would be rewarded, but this has not
happened. On the contrary, I was rebuked because I askedto be
rewarded. I have introduced many inventions and huge improvements. But
that was to no avail; all I get is moral support and words of praise.
Now I have invented something but this time Idid not give it to my
company directly; rather I gave it to an intermediary company to
submit it in its name to my company in returnfor commission that I
agreed to give to this intermediary company, after it gets the price
for my invention when it sells it to my company. This invention
already exists in America, but it is very expensive, at least 50%
more. My company has benefited greatly from this product. My question
is: is what I have done halaal or haraam?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Patents, inventions, copyright and so on belong to the inventor or
author, and he has the right to receive payment for them, because it
is customary that these rights have financial value in the
marketplace.
The Islamic Fiqh Council has issued a statement to this effect, the
text of which is as follows:
"The Islamic Fiqh Council,in its session held duringits fifth
conference in Kuwait, 1-6 Jumaada al-Awwal 1409 AH/10-15 December 1988
CE, after studying the research presented by members and experts on
the topic of intangible rights, and listening to the discussions that
were held concerning this topic, has determined the following:
Firstly: trade names, company names, trademarks, writings and
inventions are all the copyright of their owners or authors, which in
modern practice have acquired monetary value. These rights are
respected by sharee'ah and it is not permissible to transgressagainst
them.
Secondly:
If your work to invent this thing did not involve using any of the
products belonging to the company, and you did not do it on company
time, meaning that you worked on it outside of working hours, or at
times when you were not required to work, then this is yourexclusive
right as stated above, and there is nothing wrong with selling it to
your company or to an intermediate company who can sell it to your
company.
But if that was at the expense of your work for the company, or you
used the company's materials, products or laboratory, then you have
done wrong because you got distracted frin your work and because you
used the company's resources for a purpose other than that for which
they were intended, and you have to compensate the company for what is
their due. The basic principle is that you should tell them and work
out an agreement to be paid for your efforts and invention. If you
will be harmed by admitting this or you think it most likely that the
company will not give you anything, then try to give them their due by
any means possible after working out what you owe them with the help
of experts in that field.
This right of the company, if it is proven, does not make it
permissible to transgressagainst the company on the grounds that they
did not give you an increase in your salary or that they did not
appreciate your work and inventions, because two wrongs do not make a
right. You shouldstrive to improve your standing in the companyby
proper means, such as asking for it.
And Allah knows best.

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

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Islamic Stories - The Righteous Beggar

The following incident took place in Dhaka which is the capital city
of Bangladesh.
There was a beggar in the city who used to begbeside a Masjid on
Fridays after Jumah prayer. Begging was permissible for him due to his
adverse condition.Though he was a beggar, he would pay attention to
the sermonsthat were delivered during the Khutbah. Onesuch sermons was
about the importance of earning halal income. Helearnt that
supplications (dua) will not be accepted from those people whose
income are from forbidden sources. He immediately decided to accept
moneyfrom only those individuals that he knewhad halal income. His
daily earnings decreasedas a result but he was committed to his
decision.
Then came a day when the beggar died. Eventhough he lived as abeggar,
his funeral was like that of a king. Many dignitaries of the area
attended his funeral because they knew of that great sacrifice he used
to make daily in order to keep up with the commandment of Almighty
Allah.
Dear readers, we too should sincerely adopt the commandments of Allah
in our lives regardless of our social status. In this way, Allah will
elevate us in this world and in the hereafter.

Islamic Stories - The Fisherman

An investment banker was at the pier of a smallcoastal village when a
small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were
several large yellow fin tuna. The investment banker complimented the
fisherman on the qualityof his fish and asked how long it took to
catch them.
The fisherman replied,"Only a little while."
The investment banker then asked, "Why didn't you stay out longer and
catch more fish?"
The fisherman said,"With this I have more than enough to support my
family's needs."
The investment banker then asked, "But what do you do with the rest of
your time?"
The fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my
children, take siesta with my wife,stroll into the village each
evening and spend time with my family, I have a full and busy life."
The investment banker scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you.
You should spend more time fishing; and with the proceeds, buy a
bigger boat: With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy
several boats. Eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats.
Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly
to the processor; eventually opening your own cannery. You would
control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to
leave this small coastal fishing village and move to a big town and
eventually to the thecity where you will run your ever-expanding
enterprise."
The fisherman asked,"But, how long will this all take?"
To which the investmentbanker replied, "15 to 20years."
"But what then?" asked the fisherman.
The investment banker laughed and said that's the best part. "When the
time is right you would announce an IPO and sellyour company stock to
the public and become very rich, you would make millions."
"Millions?...Then what?"
The investment banker said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small
coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little,
play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village
in theevenings and spend timewith your family."

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

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The Highest Blessing: Allah's Good Pleasure

Allah has promised the men and women of the believers Gardens with
rivers flowing under them,remaining in them timelessly, forever, and
fine dwellings in the Gardens of Eden. And Allah's good pleasure is
even greater. That is the great victory. (Surat at-Tawba, 72)
Earlier, we looked at the dazzling blessings found in Paradise. The
picture that emerges is one of letting people experience the greatest
pleasures anddelights of the five senses.
But the biggest blessing ofall is Allah's good pleasure,and the joy
and happiness a believer feels when he or she wins it. As one hadith
also relates: "Allah would say to the inmates of Paradise: 'I shall
cause My pleasure to alight uponyou' " (Muslim). Moreover, being
content with everything that Allah has given and offering Him
continual thanksgiving brings a noble contentment. The Qur'an draws
our attention to this, as follows:
Allah is pleased with themand they are pleased with Him. That is the
Great Victory. (Surat al-Ma'ida, 119)
The most striking expression of what believers feel when they win
Allah's good pleasure is that He will manifest Himself to them in a
way that they can see Him. Thisis impossible in the world because, as
the Qur'an says: "Eyesight cannot perceive Him" (Surat al-An'am, 10)
But according to the Qur'an, in the next life and in a certain way
Allah will manifest Himself to His believing servants. Only Allah
knows how this will happen. But we are informed in the Qur'an that the
believers' "faces that Day will be radiant, gazing at their Lord"
(Surat al-Qiyama, 22-23) and "'Peace!' A word from a Merciful Lord"
(Surah Ya sin, 58) will be heard. Believers will be "on seats of honor
in the presence of an All-Powerful King" (Surat al-Qamar, 55).
In other words, the greatest possible blessing that believers can have
is the deep sense of Allah's mercy and will. By winning His good
pleasure, they experience a joy and a happiness that cannot be
compared with any material blessing.
Actually, it is Allah's will that gives value to Paradise's other
blessings. The same blessings may exist on Earth to a certain extent,
but they have no meaning for believers as long as they surpass the
limits Allah established.
Believers should think carefully about this extremely important point.
The real thing that gives a blessing its value issomething far beyond
its intrinsic pleasure and delight, for its real value lies in the
fact that Allah"granted" it. Believers whouse the blessing and
thankAllah for it feel that they have received Allah's gift; that the
Lord loves, protects, and looks after them; and gives them a taste of
His mercy. They take real joy from this.
A blessing is not an end; rather, it is a means to an end. As its
purpose is to encourage men and women to offer greater thanksgiving to
Allah, all of Paradise's blessings have only one goal: To lead
believers to offer eternal thanksgiving to Allah. This is what gives
them their value. In short, the blessings of Paradise are no more than
a meanswhereby believers can approach Allah and attain the
indescribable joy of winning His eternal friendship, love, and
approval. This is why Allah's good pleasure is the greatest blessing
of Paradise and far above all other material pleasures.
Let us consider one of Paradise's most striking blessings, one that is
frequently mentioned in the Qur'an: beautiful women, who represent the
height of the aestheticidea. Just to be with them is a great blessing.
The Qur'an describes the beauty of their faces, their skin, and even
their bosoms. With these magnificent women, one of Allah's greatest
materialblessings - sexuality - can be experienced eternally in the
most wonderful way. In the same manner, unmarried women will be
married to young palace servants. This also is a freegift to them from
Allah.
However, what makes these women so valuable is not merely their
beauty,but the fact that they are known to be a gift from Allah.

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

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