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:

Assalaamu Alaikum.

First of all i don`t know whether i can send a mail like this to u or i have to go to the site and send my questions. Anyway If it`s wrong, i am sorry.

I have a doubt. Let us say if a person is working in a company (Computer trading), and that company is selling duplicate items ( e.g. printer cartridges with a popular name but made in china). Sometimes informing the customer and sometimes without telling the customer that it is duplicate. And also duplicate items with the original stamp on it. This is the case. The question is whether a person working with this company as accountant and taking salary is halal or haram. Pls clear this. Also the company is selling original products too.

(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:

Copyright issues

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 4 Surah Nisaa verse 29:

29 O ye who believe! Eat not up your property among yourselves in vanities: but let there be amongst you traffic and trade by mutual good-will.

Respected brother, all types and manifestations of dishonesty, fraud, deceit, treachery, falsehoods, lies, etc. are absolutely unlawful and impermissible for the believers who sincerely fear Allah and the Last Day…..regardless of whether it pertains to one’s livelihood or any other facet of their lives.

If a company transacts its business by selling fake or duplicate items and sells them as ‘originals’…..not only would they be guilty of defrauding their customers, but they would be guilty of unjustly abusing the rights of the original owners of the copyright. The conducting of such fraudulent businesses would be illegal and unlawful not only in the sight of the law in the land, but also in the Sight of Allah Subhanah.

Your Question: The question is whether a person working with this company as accountant and taking salary is halal or haram.

If the nature of the work one does in the company which is involved in fraudulent or unlawful practices facilitates the fraudulent business, or himself lies to the customers, etc….indeed such a person will bear an appropriate share of the burden of the sin.

But if one works for a company which sells both lawful and unlawful products, and the nature of his job does not involve the actual facilitation of the unlawful products, nor does the nature of the job require the person to do anything which does not befit the character of a believer….then his salary will be considered derived from the sources of the company which sells lawful products.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 3.267 Narrated by An Numan bin Bashir

The Prophet (saws) said "Both the ‘halaal’ (legal) and the ‘haraam’ (illegal) things are obvious, and in between them are (suspicious) doubtful matters. So whoever forsakes those doubtful things lest he may commit a sin, will definitely avoid what is clearly illegal; and whoever indulges in these (suspicious) doubtful things bravely, is likely to commit what is clearly illegal. Sins are Allah's Hima (i.e. private pasture) and whoever pastures (his sheep) near it, is likely to get in it at any moment."

Beloved brother, because the very nature of the work of an accountant does not actively involve him in the business itself ….it would be very difficult for one to say with absolute conviction that the salary earned of an accountant in such a company is ‘lawful’ or ‘unlawful’…… if the accountant is a believer and fears or doubts whether or not his work or his salary earned in the company is lawful or unlawful, it would be best for him to seek to employ his talents elsewhere wherein there is absolutely no doubt. If the person does this only for the sake and fear of Allah Subhanah, not only will the Lord Most Gracious provide him with enough sustenance from his Infinite Bounties, but will reward him generously for his submission and his obedience.

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