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The idea of advertising in order to attract business is one of
the modern ideas that cannot be regarded as being exempt from
the general Islamic principles governing transactions. But because,
in many cases, this method of attracting business has gone too
far, we have to mention these general principles in detail, paying
special attention to the aims of Shariah and correct etiquette.
This includes the following points:
First: The businessman must have a good intention when
advertising, i.e. his intention should be to acquaint people with
the advantages of his goods or services, to draw their attention
to things they do not know about the goods &service, and to provide
other information that they may need about them.
Second: He must always be honest in his advertising; what
he says must reflect the reality of the product or service. Honesty
is an essential fundamental in all dealings, but especially in
selling. The Prophet (S.A.W) said: "The two parties engaged in
a transaction have the choice of either going ahead with the transaction
or canceling it, until they part. If they are open and honest,
their transaction will be blessed for them, but if they conceal
things and tell lies, that will destroy the Barakah (blessing)
of their transaction." (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, no. 2079 (2/82-83),
and by Muslim, 1532 (3/162), from the hadeeth of Hakeem ibn Hizaam).
One of the essential means of being honest is to avoid over-praising
of a product or service or exaggerating about it, for this could
go beyond the bounds of being open and honest. The Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Try not to praise products
to one another" (Al-Tirmidhi, no. 1268), i.e., the vendor should
not praise it in order to encourage the one who hears him to buy
it, so that the only reason he buys it is what the vendor says.
The guideline here is that the vendor should refrain from saying
anything that could later result in regret on the part of the
purchaser and the vendor himself.
Third: The vendor should avoid any kind of cheating and
deception in his advertising; i.e., he should not make the product
appear more attractive than it actually is, or conceal its faults,
or praise it in terms of characteristics and features that it
does not have. All of this is haraam, as stated above.
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