ایڈوانس بیلنس (موبائل لون) کا شرعی جائزہ

Sharīʿah Analysis of Mobile Advance Balance Facility

Abstract

The Advance Balance facility offered by telecommunication companies has emerged as a significant contemporary issue in Islamic commercial jurisprudence. Through this facility, mobile users obtain immediate access to call, SMS, or internet services and repay the corresponding amount, usually with an additional charge, upon subsequent recharge. This study examines the legal nature of mobile balance and argues that it primarily represents a right of usufruct and network access rather than money itself. The paper analyzes different methods through which users acquire such rights and evaluates the major juristic characterizations of Advance Balance, namely qarḍ (loan), ijārah (lease), and bayʿ al-ḥaqq (sale of rights). After a comparative analysis, the study concludes that the characterization of Advance Balance as Bayʿ al-Ḥaqq Muʾajjal (deferred sale of rights) is the most appropriate interpretation. Accordingly, the additional amount charged is treated as part of a deferred sale price rather than an unlawful increase on a loan.