Shariah ruling about some current employment issues

[Muslim youth going abroad to study/earn is a common sight nowadays.  Islamic ruling about some issues that they may face are being compiled from the Fatawa of Mufti Hafidh Syed Ziauddin Naqshbandi Qadri, Professor, Islamic Law, Jamia Nizamia, Founder/Director, Abul Hasanaat Islamic Research Center]

 

 

Working in petrol bunk, etc.

 

If someone accepts payment for petrol and other Halal products, then there is no problem at all and the earnings are absolutely Halal.  If one can talk to the management about the forbidden products and make some arrangement wherein one is not concerned at all with sale of the forbidden products, then these earnings are Halal for you.  However, if one has no chance of escaping being involved in the sale/payment acceptance of the forbidden products, then this is impermissible.  One should search for some other Halal job.  Allah Ta’ala is the One who provides sustenance.

 

 

Working as web designer

 

If one works in company which designs websites for Haraam businesses and the websites designed by that company are used for promoting their products, then designing websites for them is in fact helping them in doing what is Haraam, which is forbidden.  Thus, working in this kind of a company is not correct.  The work profile of the company should be completely Halal.  If in this company itself, this person designs websites for Halal companies or of educational institutions and works in such a way that he/she has nothing to do with the sites of Haraam businesses, then this job is Halal for you.  As given in Durre Mukhtar, Vol. 5, Pg. No. 38.

 

 

Working as flight attendant

 

As per Islamic law, consuming wine is a Major sin (Gunaah Kabeera) and offering people wine to drink is helping them in sin.  Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) has forbidden us from helping each other in sins.

 

Help ye one another in righteousness and piety, but help ye not one another in sin and rancour: fear Allah: for Allah is strict in punishment.  Surah Maidah (5:2)

 

Thus, if by remaining in the same department, one can absolve yourself of this responsibility, then it should be done.  If this cannot be done, then leave this job and go for another one.  Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) will provide sustenance (Rizq) and will help you.

 

 

Working as airhostess

 

While working as an airhostess, a woman has to serve food and drinks to the passengers.  For the following reasons, working as an airhostess is not permissible for Muslim women:

 

1.  Mostly, for airhostesses, the clothes are indecent.

 

2.  Talking/interacting/mixing with men is unavoidable.

 

3.  The whole job is itself in a journey, although the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) has prohibited from traveling with a non-Mahram, as given in the Hadith in Sahih Bukhari:

 

Translation of Hadith:  It has been narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Abdullah Bin Umar (May Allah be well pleased with them) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  No woman should travel for a distance of more than 3 days' worth without a Mahram.  (Sahih Bukhari, Hadith No. 1024)

 

If it is possible to do this job following the rules of the Purdah as decreed by the Shariah, avoiding mixing with men and along with a Mahram, then there is an allowance for it provided the women only serve women and don’t mix with men.  Otherwise, this job itself is a mixture of many sins.