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:

Dear Brother Burhan,

ASAK,

First of all I would like to say that Allah gives you Jazah for operating such a helpline which helps us to clear our doubts regarding certain topics in Islam. Rigt now i m working for a bank in middle east and want to start some sort of business of my own reason being:

1-i dont dont want to work for a bank coz its is islamicaly not right as far as i know.

2-i want to take care of my parents they r getting old and by doing a job i cant do it coz they r not ready to come here to stay with me.

Can u suggest me any dua or anything so that i can start something of my own.

Take care

ALLAH hafiz

Faiz

(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:

Start own business

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.

May Allah Subhanah reward you with the best of this world and the Hereafter for your kind comments of encouragement for our humble efforts in the propagation of the Truth. If our humble and modest efforts have helped even one brother or sister get closer to Allah and His Deen of Truth, then we would consider ourselves indeed fortunate to have been given this opportunity by the Lord Most Merciful to serve in His Cause. We hope, beg, and pray the Merciful Lord accepts our humble and weak efforts, forgives us our shortcomings, and saves you, us, and all the believers from the torment of the Hell Fire. Ameen.

Your Statement:I dont dont want to work for a bank coz its is islamicaly not right as far as i know.

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 to 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.’

Your Statement: Can u suggest me any dua or anything so that i can start something of my own.

Beloved Brother in Islam, if you make sincere intention to leave something which has clearly been declared forbidden by Allah and His Messenger (saws) only for the Sake and fear of Allah Subhanah, Allah is our witness, He will bless you in whatever step you take towards Him and His Guidance…..

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale Imraan verse 195:

195 …Never will I (Allah) suffer to be lost the work of any of you be he male or female. Ye are members one of another; those who have left their homes, or been driven out therefrom, or suffered harm in My Cause, or fought or been slain; Verily, I will blot out from them their iniquities and admit them into Gardens with rivers flowing beneath; a reward from the Presence of Allah, and from His Presence is the best of rewards.

Your Question: Can u suggest me any dua or anything so that i can start something of my own.

Dear and beloved brother in Islam, amongst the best supplications one who seeks lawful sustenance from their Lord can and should make are those taught by Allah and His Messenger (saws):

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 28 Surah Qasas verse 24:

24 …. then he (Musa (a.s.)) turned back to the shade and said: "O my Lord! Truly am I in (desperate) need of any good that Thou dost send me!"

Ali related that a slave, who had agreed on terms of his freedom with his master, came to him and said, "I cannot pay my master as I agreed in the terms of freedom, so help me." Ali said to him, "Let me teach you the supplication that the Prophet (saws) taught me. If you say it, Allah will cause your debt to be paid even if it be as great as a mountain. Say, 'O Allah, make Your lawful bounties sufficient for me so as to save me from what is unlawful, and from Your grace grant me sufficient abundance to make me free from the need of all except You'." Related by Tirmidhi.

Dear and beloved brother, if you keep your full trust and belief in the Power and Strength of your Lord Creator, make sincere intention to move away from the doubtful and the unlawful towards what is lawful only for the Sake and Fear of Allah Subhanah….. and constantly beseech Him in absolute and abject humility, and awe, and fear, and in hope to guide you and help you in your mission ….it is expected that the Lord Most Gracious Most Bounteous will provide you from sources one cannot even imagine, Insha Allah.

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