My husband-to-be works in the computer department in a local bank.
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:
My
husband-to-be works in the computer department in a local bank. I want to know
if his earnings are halaal?
(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:
Working in bank
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 2 Surah Baqarah
verse 274-276:
But those who devour
‘riba’ become like the one whom Shaitaan has bewitched and maddened by his
touch. They have been condemned to
this condition because they say, “Trade
is just like ‘riba”, whereas Allah
has made trade halaal and ‘riba’ haraam. Henceforth, if one
abstains from taking ‘riba’ after receiving this admonition from his Lord, no legal action shall be taken against him
regarding the ‘riba’ he had devoured before:
his case shall ultimately go to Allah.
But if one repeats the same crime even after this, he shall go to Hell, where he shall abide for ever! Allah deprives ‘riba’ of all blessing and
develops charity, and Allah does not
like an ungrateful, sinful person.
Allah says further in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah
Baqarah verse 278:
O Believers!, fear Allah and give up that ‘riba’ which is
still due to you, if you are true
believers. But if you do not do so, then you are warned of the declaration of war against you
by Allah and His Messenger!
Allah says in the Holy
Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisa verse 161:
That they took
‘riba’, although they were forbidden. And that they devoured
men’s substance wrongfully. We have
prepared for those among them who reject faith a grievous punishment (of Hell
Fire)!
Al-Tirmidhi Hadith
2829 Narrated by Ali ibn AbuTalib
Ali heard Allah's
Messenger (saws) invoke the curse of Allah on those who took usury, those who
paid it, those who recorded it, and those who refused to give
sadaqah.
Dear and Beloved Sister in Islam, it is not that the
system of banking in its essence has been declared haraam in Islam; but what
Allah and His Messenger (saws) have specifically and categorically declared
absolutely forbidden and haraam is the concept of ‘riba’.
There is absolutely no doubt that the conventional banking
system is based on the system of ‘riba’, and even though one might not be
involved himself in consuming ‘riba’, their working in such institutions would
make them an accomplice in what has clearly been declared forbidden by Allah
and His Messenger (saws).
One cannot say with absolutely conviction that the earning
of every person working in a conventional bank is unlawful or haraam; but it
would definitely be prudent and wise of the believers to fear Allah and seek
their employ their talents and earn their livelihood from a source which is not
doubtful.
Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 1.49 Narrated by An Numan bin Bashir
I heard Allah's Messenger (saws) saying,
'Both legal (halaal) and illegal (haraam) things are clearly evident, but in
between them there are doubtful (suspicious) things and most of the people have
no knowledge about them. So whoever
saves himself from these suspicious things saves his religion and his honor.
And whoever indulges in these suspicious things is like a shepherd who grazes
(his animals) near the Hima (private pasture or boundary) of someone else, and
at any moment he is liable to get in it. (O people!) Beware! Every king has a
‘Hima’ and the ‘Hima’ (boundary) of Allah on the earth is His illegal (forbidden)
things.’
If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and
commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws),
one can be assured of never ever being misled; but if one believes, obeys and follows any other guidance, other
than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of being led
astray.
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