20/09/2026
🚨WARNING: LONG POST AHEAD🚨
A little reminder about my PASABUY / PREORDER / PERSONAL SHOPPING 🤍
I already shared about this a few years ago, but since pasabuy and preorder have become very common nowadays, I feel it is worth sharing again—not only for my customers, but also as a gentle reminder to my fellow Muslim sellers.
From the very beginning, I have tried my best to operate my business transparently and in accordance with Islamic principles.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Do not sell what you do not possess.”
(Sunan Abi Dawud 3503 – Sahih)
This is an important reminder for us, especially when we are accepting orders for items that are not yet physically with us.
So how do I personally handle my PASABUY/PREORDER?
I act as my customer’s agent/personal shopper (wakil). In simple terms, you are asking me to purchase a particular item on your behalf, rather than me claiming to already own something that I don’t yet possess.
The concept of wakālah (agency) is recognized in Islam. The Prophet ﷺ himself gave ‘Urwah رضي الله عنه money and instructed him to purchase a sheep on his behalf. (Sahih al-Bukhari 3642–3643)
This is also why I normally show the original Malaysian price in RM for my pasabuy/preorder posts. I want my customers to see the original price and know that I am purchasing the item for them, with my charges/profit for the service made clear.
I am also an authorized agent/reseller for many Malaysian brands that I post, including Hegira, She Dazzle, HijabistaHub, Tudung Ruffle and others. I have authorization from these brands to represent/resell their products according to our arrangement.
ABOUT PAYMENT 🤍
Another thing I have practiced from the beginning is that I generally do not require my customers to pay the full amount while the item is still not here.
For most pasabuy/preorders, I ask for only a 50% down payment as a commitment/confirmation that the item is a sure buy. The remaining balance can be paid once the item is already on hand here in Manila and ready to ship.
For my longtime sukis, I often don’t even require a down payment because we have already established trust through years of transactions. 🤍
And many customers voluntarily choose to pay in full from the beginning because they already know and trust me. Alhamdulillah, I am very grateful for that trust.
I also want to clarify that advance payment itself is not automatically haram. Islam recognizes certain transactions where payment is made in advance for goods delivered later. In Bay‘ as-Salam, for example, the Prophet ﷺ permitted advance payment provided that the specifications and delivery terms were clearly known. (Sahih al-Bukhari 2239–2240)
So the issue is not simply “payment before receiving the item = haram.” The important question is what kind of transaction is actually taking place and whether its Islamic conditions are being followed.
My pasabuy arrangement is intended as personal shopping/agency (wakālah): I purchase the requested item on behalf of my customer and make the original RM price and my charges clear.
ON-HAND ITEMS ARE DIFFERENT.
When an item has already been purchased and is already in my possession, it becomes my own stock. I can then sell it at the price I choose, and I do not need to disclose how much I originally paid for it.
And this is also a gentle reminder to my fellow Muslim online sellers. 🤍
Pasabuy and preorder may be a trend now, but we should not follow a business trend without also learning the Islamic rulings behind it.
Before posting “PREORDER,” accepting payments or selling something that we don’t yet have, let us learn about ownership, possession, agency (wakālah), advance-payment sales (salam), and the difference between acting as a seller and acting as someone’s purchasing agent.
A simple solution is to make the arrangement clear from the beginning.
This is what I personally do:
• For pasabuy/preorder, I make it clear that I am acting as a personal shopper/agent.
• I show the original RM price and make my charges clear.
• I normally require only 50% as confirmation, with the balance payable when the item is already here and ready to ship.
• For trusted sukis, I may not require any advance payment at all.
• If a customer chooses to pay the full amount in advance, that is their choice.
• For items already ON HAND and in my possession, I sell them normally as my own stock.
I am sharing this not to judge or criticize other sellers, and I am not claiming to be an Islamic scholar. There are different permissible ways a business transaction can be structured, and the ruling can change depending on the actual arrangement.
If you’re a Muslim seller and you’re unsure, please ask a qualified scholar knowledgeable in Islamic business transactions (fiqh al-mu‘amalat) and explain exactly how your preorder system works.
This is a reminder to myself first before anyone else. At the end of the day, it is not only about how much we earn—it is also about how we earn it.
We all work hard for our businesses. May we also work hard to make sure that the income we bring home is halal and filled with barakah. 🤍
May Allah guide us in our businesses, make our earnings halal, protect us from doubtful and haram transactions, and put barakah in every honest effort.
Ameen. 🤲🏻
