My husband after years of working in Saudi wants to return India to start any business. He has in his mind the following :-
1. To open a Laundry – I feel opening a Laundry in non-muslim country is not feeling good.
2. He have a plan to do sericulture cocoon reeling ( silk worms reeling to get natural silk). For this also somebody told me not allowed in Islam since it involves killing of the insects by immersing in the hot boiling water. Pls. advice whether it is allowed in Islam to do this silk reeling.
3. Also he have in his mind to do food stuff distribution, using a vehicle to distribute to the shopkeepers the essential food items like rice, wheat flour etc – About this also somebody told me that in Islam we have to keep a place to sell the products and distribution is not allowed ( to take our products to market and sell to the shop keepers)
I have confusion with the above mentioned business proposal from my Husband. Pls. clarify with respect to Islam and Sunnah which one of the above is more suitable and allowed. Since he is repeatedly asking my views, pls. try to reply at the earliest. Jazakumullah Khaire. Wassalam. Fatima Begum. Bangalore, India.

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

It is permissible to open a laundry in a non-Muslim country. As regards producing natural silk, if this involves immersing the silkworm in boiling water, then this is torture and therefore it is not permissible; rather, one should look for another method that does not involve a religious prohibition.

Furthermore, it is not correct to say that in order to sell goods it is a condition to have a shop; rather, it is permissible to distribute goods to shopkeepers and sell to them at their shops.

Finally, your husband should seek the advice of trustworthy people and those who are experienced in business in your country about the suitable business. We ask Allaah to bless your husband in his money and family.

Allaah Knows best.