Using a gray market phone
Question
I bought a brand new xiaomi smartphone in 2016. But the next year after I checked on government regulations website, my phone was "indeed" proven illegal. Illegal here means imported without any permissions from the government (not stolen, I already know the rules about stolen items). So no doubt about this. This leaves me questions:
1. What is the ruling for anything that we bought, we didn't know it is illegal at the beginning, but then it is proven illegal afterwards? (again, illegal here = "avoid taxes" not stolen items)
2. Am I allowed to continue using this or should I get rid of it?
3. What level of investigations should every Muslim do for each business transaction like this?
Answer
It is jaaiz for you to use the phone.
And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best.
- Answered by
- Mufti Zakaria Makada
- Checked & approved by
- Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)
Fatawa SA is an independent, read-only index of fatawa already published by Mufti Online — Madrasah Ta'leemuddeen. It is not a fatwa service. For your own situation, ask the issuing Darul Ifta directly.