Is network marketing (MLM) permissible?

“After examining the manner in which the Qnet scheme operates, we conclude that it is not permissible for one to participate in such a scheme. The reason is that Shariah does not allow one to earn commissions from transactions in which one did not make any effort.”

“The pyramids were built as monuments to house the tombs of the Pharaohs. We have been prohibited in the Hadith from building a solid structure around the Qabr.”

“Every case of network marketing will be inspected individually; thereafter, its ruling will be based on its contracts, facts, and details. Nevertheless, most of the multilevel marketing schemes (also known as pyramid schemes) involve impermissible elements such as gambling, interest, ambiguity, deception, and conditional sales.”

“Multi-level marketing is a strategy which is used by companies to encourage their existing distributors to recruit new distributors by paying the existing distributors a percentage of their recruits’ sales; the recruits are known as a distributor’s “downline”.”