Fatwa n° 834

Category: Fatwas about financial transactions – Hiring

Being employed by someone
whose most earnings are unlawful

Question:

I have a trader friend who earned a lot of money from renting his trade register to other traders. Jointly with another person trading in satellite dishes and receivers, he founded a travel and tourism agency in order to take people (to the Holy Places) to perform ‘Umra and Hajj. He offered me a job as a guide for Al-Mutamirîn (people who perform ‘Umra). So, what is the ruling concerning working in this agency? May Allah bless you.

 

Answer:

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Peace and blessing be upon whom Allah sent as a mercy to the Worlds, upon his Family, his Companions and his Brothers till the Day of Resurrection:

Whoever does not seek the Halal (lawful) in his earnings and does not care about consuming what is forbidden nor about how he accumulates his wealth in accordance to the way indicated by the Prophet صلَّى الله عليه وسلَّم who said: “There will come a time when people will not care about the way they earn money, whether lawfully or unlawfully”(1). In another hadith, he صلَّى الله عليه وسلَّم said: “Whoever earns money from a sinful source then uses it to keep good ties of kinship, gives it in charity or spends it for the sake of Allah, then all that (money) will be gathered and thrown with him in the Hell”(2).

Therefore, if this is the case (with this trader), it is not recommended to work with him nor to keep friendship with him if he did not repent having raised money from which is bad (unlawful) and was not determined to get rid of it by way of piety and sincerity, according to the hadith of the Prophet صلَّى الله عليه وسلَّم in which he said: “Be not a companion except of a believer, and let none eat your food except a righteous”(3). In another hadith it is said: “Bother not yourself for what you missed in this worldly life if you have these four characteristics: preserving the entrusted properties, truthfulness in speech, good morality and lawfulness in food”(4)

The perfect knowledge belongs to Allah عزَّ وجلَّ. Our last prayer is all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Peace and blessing be upon our Prophet, his Family, his Companions and his Brothers till the Day of Resurrection.

 

Algiers, Al-Muharram 20th, 1429 H
Corresponding to January 27th, 2008 G

 


(1) Narrated by Al-Bukhârî (2083) from the hadith of Abî Hurayra رضي الله عنه.

(2) Al-Mundhirî attributed it in “At-Targhîb Wa At-Tarhîb” (2/ 148) to Abî Dâwûd in “Al-Marâşîl” from the hadith of Al-Qâşim Ibn Mukhaymira. This hadith is judged Haşan (well) by Al-Albânî in “Sahîh At-Targhîb Wa At-Tarhîb” (1721).

(3) Narrated by Abî Dâwûd (4832) and At-Tirmidhî (2395) from the hadith of Abî Sa‘îd Al-Khudrî رضي الله عنه. This hadith is judged Haşan (well) by Al-Baghawî in “Sharh As-Sunna”: (6/ 468) and Al-Albânî in “Sahîh Al-Jâmi‘” (7341).

(4) Narrated by Ahmad (6652) from the hadith of Abdullâh Ibn ’Amr رضي الله عنهما. This hadith is judged Haşan (well) by Al-Haythamî in “Majma‘ Az-Zwâ’id” (10/ 529). It is judged authentic by Ahmad Shâkir (10/ 138) and by Al-Albânî in “Sahîh Al-Jâmi‘” (873).

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