Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Pl. let me know :-

1.whether Doing Job in Sales & Marketing Department of a Hotel which serves alcoholic beverages and also provides un Islamic services like gambling, womanizing etc, is permissible in Islam.

2.If i am acting as a Business Development Manager or even teaching for an Institute which teaches Hotel management, is it permissible, considering the fact that i would be luring or motivating various students to pursue this course to join hotel industry.

3.Teaching Hospitality Management in a Management Institute, where the students are taught this subject to make them aware of industry, is it permissible.

Waiting for your detailed and early reply.

ALLAH Hafiz

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Teaching hotel management

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verses 90-91:

O you who have believed! ‘Khamr’ (all types of intoxicants), games of chance, idols, and divining arrows are all abominable works of Shaitaan; therefore, stay (far) away from these so that you may attain success. Indeed, Shaitaan seeks to sow enmity and hatred among you by means of ‘khamr’ (intoxicants) and gambling, and to prevent you from the Remembrance of Allah and from Salaah. Will you not, then, abstain from these things?

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2776 Narrated by Anas ibn Malik

Allah's Messenger (saws) invoked the curse of Allah on ten people in connection with wine: the wine-presser, the one who has it pressed, the one who drinks it, the one who conveys it, the one to whom it is conveyed, the one who serves it, the one who sells it, the one who benefits from the price paid for it, the one who buys it, and the one for whom it is bought.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 7 Surah Aaraaf verse 33:

33 Say: The things that my Lord hath indeed forbidden are: ‘fahisha’ (shameful or indecent deeds) whether open or secret; sins and trespasses against truth or reason; assigning of partners to Allah for which he hath given no authority; and saying things about Allah of which ye have no knowledge.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 151:

151 Say: "Come I will rehearse what Allah hath (really) prohibited you from": join not anything as equal with Him; be good to your parents: kill not your children on a plea of want; We provide sustenance for you and for them; come not (even) nigh to ‘fahisha’ (shameful or indecent deeds) whether open or secret; take not life which Allah hath made sacred except by way of justice and law: thus doth He command you that ye may learn wisdom.

Your Question: whether Doing Job in Sales & Marketing Department of a Hotel which serves alcoholic beverages and also provides un Islamic services like gambling, womanizing etc, is permissible in Islam.

In light of the above absolutely clear guidance of the Glorious Quran and the Sunnah, Islam has absolutely zero-tolerance for the abominations of intoxicants, gambling, ‘fahisha’ (indecency), ‘zina’, etc….and it only befit a believer who sincerely believes in Allah and the Last Day to never ever involve himself or facilitate the acts which are categorically declared as unlawful and ‘haraam’ in Islam.

The working in a hotel by itself is not impermissible, but if one’s job at the hotel involves oneself in facilitating acts which are clearly declared as unlawful by Allah and His Messenger (saws), indeed one would bear the appropriate burden of the sin according to their level of participation.

Your Question: If i am acting as a Business Development Manager or even teaching for an Institute which teaches Hotel management, is it permissible,

The main business of the hotel industry is to provide accommodation to travelers; thus working in the hotel industry, or teaching ‘hotel management’ by itself is not prohibited in Islam.

But if one teaches methods of how best to facilitate the unlawful deeds and acts of selling intoxicants, or how best to accommodate gambling or deeds of ‘fahisha’….which are categorically declared as unlawful by Allah and His Messenger (saws)….indeed, one would be guilty of promoting the unlawful, and it would be safe to assume that they too will bear an appropriate burden and share of the sin. And Allah Alone Knows Best.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan