Is It Permissible to Make Profit from Website Ads by Buying Ads for 1$?

Question: 249413

I want to ask about making a profit from advertising websites and earning money from that, so that we will not get involved in anything prohibited or issues of Riba.

This is how it works: there is a website for making a profit from ads by clicking on them. I buy a group of ads for one dollar, in return for which I get seventy visits to my website, and the company gives me a number of points, 3200 points for one group of ads. The investment of one dollar brings me 159% profit. Then the company distributes the ads to the members, according to the number of points each one has. So for every ad that reaches me, if the value of the ad is one dollar, it takes 2000 points. Thus I will have 1200 points in my account. One dollar will enable me to buy another group of ads, or I can withdraw it. Thus everyone will benefit from visits to his website, and everyone will be able to visit the websites of other members. Those websites consist of ads for websites for business purposes, and contain no indecent material. The ads last for twenty-four hours, and if you do not click on them, they will go to other members. I can also invite my friends to join the company, and I get a percentage of the members’ clicks on the (newcomers’) ads. I can withdraw my profits whenever I wish, in any amount I wish. The profits of the website come from importing cars into Tunisia.

My questions are:

1. Is it permissible to join this website and invest in it?

2. If it is Riba, is it permissible to work on this website without investing, because the website allows you to work without investing and only through one’s daily efforts?

3. If it is permissible to work without investing, is it permissible to bring new members to the website and get some percentage from them? Please note that I do not know whether they will invest or not.

4. Is it permissible to reinvest the profits that I make from the company? Please note that I have not invested even one dollar from my own pocket since I began visiting the website.

5. If my work is all Riba-based, is it permissible for me to sell my account to someone else?

Summary of answer

It is permissible to invest in advertising websites if: 1- joining the website is for free; 2- the ads are for permissible things; 3- the participant should not use software or paying websites to give the impression that there are a lot of visitors; and 4- what you will gain should be known, so every click should be worth such and such. If you have to pay a dollar to join the website, then it is prohibited to join it.

Answer

Table Of Contents

Is it permissible to invest in website Ads?
Is it permissible to make profit from website Ads by buying Ads for 1$?
Can you sell your account to others?

Is it permissible to invest in website Ads?

It is permissible to invest in advertising websites if they meet the following conditions:

Joining the website should be free; if it is in return for payment then it is prohibited, because it is gambling and Riba, as it is exchanging money for money with delay of payment and a difference in quantity.
The ads should be for permissible things.
The participant should not use trickery with regard to clicking on ads by using software or paying websites to give the impression that there are a lot of visitors.
What you will gain should be known , so every click should be worth such and such.

Is it permissible to make profit from website Ads by buying Ads for 1$?

From your question, it is clear that joining this website is not free; rather you have to pay a dollar. Based on that, it is prohibited to join it.

The fact that you benefit from this dollar by getting your website advertised does not make it permissible, because in reality the transaction with this website is as follows: you pay money in return for getting your website advertised, and you will be able to click on ads and make money out of that , as well as inviting others to join and make money from their contributions. This contract is prohibited, because it involves gambling and Riba.

As for gambling, that is because you are paying in the hope of acquiring more every time you click on ads, which may happen or may not happen.

This is definite loss for possible gain, which is the essence of gambling.

The reason why it is Riba is because it is exchanging money for money, with an additional amount and a delay in the exchange.

If your aim is to advertise your website, then you should pay money and nothing else; you should not try to make money by clicking on ads. In other words, do not combine advertising with making money at the same time, because the trickery that you are trying to use to get around the prohibition is quite obvious.

Can you sell your account to others?

With regard to selling your account to someone else, if what is meant is selling your website, there is nothing wrong with that. However, if what is meant is that the one who buys it will be joining the advertising website and will be given his own account, with points and profits, then it is not permissible to sell it, because of what we have noted above about it being a prohibited contract.

Similarly, it is not permissible to invite others to join it , because that comes under the heading of helping in sin and transgression.

And Allah knows best.

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