Q : I read all your fatwas on whether working in Bank or working for Bank related activities is permissible or not permissible. I understand, we can not take a unique decision, and whether to decide if the job is halal or haram

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Question

 

I read all your fatwas on whether working in Bank or working for Bank related activities is permissible or not permissible. I understand, we can not take a unique decision, and whether to decide if the job is halal or haram, is majorly based on the roles and resposibilties of the job. But, I would be happy if you can confirm if the job that I am working is Halal or haram.

I am a SAP consultant who works in a Software company. I am in a project for a Client, who is a Bank in Netherlands. My job is to maintain all the data of the Bank that is already existing in a system and make reports to display those data. These reports are used by the employees in the banks to view the data that is stored. In short, I am facilitating the Bank employees to view all the bank related data. Now am I permitted to do this with respect to Sharia.

Please please reply

 

Answer

 

In the name of Allāh, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Assalāmu ῾alaykum wa Rahmatullāhi Wabarakātuh

 

In today’s times of technological advancements and calculations, the issue of assisting in sin has become very complex.  Some departments are directly related to sin, whilst others are indirectly related. In terms of Shari’ah, where do we draw the line and how do we practice on the injunction of ولا تعاونوا على الإثم والعدوان (And do not help each other in sin and aggression).

 

عن جابر قال لعن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم آكل الربا وموكله وكاتبه وشاهديه وقال هم سواء. (رواه مسلم)

Hazrath Jabir (Radhiyallahu Anhu) narrates that Nabi (Sallahu ‘Alaihi Wasallam) cursed those who are involved in usury; whether it is the person who is giving usury, receiving it, writing the transaction or witnessing it.

(Sahih Muslim, Vol.11, Pg.28,  Dār al-Ma’rifah)

The commentators of Hadith explain that whilst the abovementioned narration explicitly forbids one from writing down the transactions of interest, it refers only to those people who write an agreement and prepare the document to evidence the transaction of interest. It does not include those people or accountants who record these transactions later and were not involved in the transaction itself.

وهذا إنما يقع على من واطأ صاحب الربا عليه فأما من كتبه أو شهد القصة ليشهد بها على ما هي عليه ليعمل فيها بالحق فهذا جميل القصد لا يدخل في الوعيد المذكور وإنما يدخل فيه من أعان صاحب الربا بكتابته وشهادته

 

(Fath al-Bari (Ibn Hajr), Vol.4, Pg.394 , Qadeemi)

(Contemporary Fatawa (Mufti Taqi Usmani), Pg.160, Idara-e-Islamiyat)

The ruling regarding working in the software development company (SAP) mentioned in the query will depend on the nature of the company:

·         If the sole purpose of the company is to develop software for Banks and other unislamic financial institutes, then it will be impermissible to work for such a company.

 

According to our understanding, you have clearly illustrated that the bank in Netherlands is one of your clients and your job entails maintaining all the data of the Bank which is already existing and can be used for other purposes as well. Therefore, it will be permissible to continue working for the Software Company and the salaries received are halaal.

 

And Allāh Ta῾āla Knows Best
Wassalāmu ῾alaykum 

 

Ml. Ebrahim Desai,
Student Dārul Iftā

Checked and Approved by:
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Dārul Iftā, Madrasah In῾āmiyyah

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