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:

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh

1. My question is as per the hadith: (Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2829 Narrated by Ali ibn AbuTalib ) Ali said he 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

Is a person who records the transactions he is also a sinner? Because I am an Accountant and I have been handling the credit dept. where I am keeping record of all bank facilities Overdraft, L/C and Loan etc, all of these facilities have interest ? Should I leave this job and look for another?

I would also like to mentioned this, I leave in UAE Dubai and in this part of world there are so many banks foreign and local bank offering interest facilities and Muslims are working in the banks is it not haraam, and being an Islamic country why do the allow it, if it is Haraam,

2. I have taken a personal loan last year which is for 4 years, now what should I do ? and if I have to give up working in this company and search another, I am sure I won`t find a company where they don`t deal with interest, If I won`t find the job how will I repay the loan amount ? and if I don`t pay I have just read the email of: why repay back loan,

Please answer the above I really wants to cancel my credit cards and settle the loan and even I don`t want to work the place where they deal in interest.

Thank you so much

As Salaam Aleikum

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Answer:

Keeping records of riba accountant

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.

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.

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 3325 Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

The Prophet (saws) said: ‘A time is certainly coming to mankind when only the receiver of ‘riba’ will remain, and if he does not receive it, some of its vapor will reach him.’

Although one cannot say with absolute conviction that the sin of the one who actually consumes and/or pays ‘riba’ is the same as the one who transacts or records the ‘riba’ transactions, nevertheless keeping records of the transactions of ‘riba’ is indeed a grave sin in the Sight of Allah, and such people are undoubtedly amongst those upon whom the Messenger of Allah (saws) invoked the curse or ‘lanah’ of Allah Subhanah, and they indeed shall bear the burden of the sin according to their level of participation.

Your Question: Should I leave this job and look for another?

Beloved brother in Islam, if you make a solemn intention to leave a job which clearly involves the unlawful, and strive the necessary striving to search for work which does not involve the unlawful only for the sake and fear of Allah Subhanah…..not only will your Lord Most Bounteous accept your piety and your striving, but will provide you with sustenance from His Unending and Infinite Sources.

To leave a job which involves the recording of ‘riba’ transactions immediately would be closest to obedience and piety in the Sight of the Lord….but if you fear that such a decision would put your and you family in due hardship, the absolute least you could and should do is make a solemn intention and covenant unto your Lord that as soon as you find a job which keeps you away from the unlawful….and you do the necessary striving to search for such a job….you would leave your current job and employ your talents elsewhere which does not involve in the unlawful.

Beloved brother in Islam, if you can bring yourself to fear Allah, and do the striving necessary to abstain from indulging in what has clearly been declared unlawful by Allah and His Messenger (saws)……you cannot even begin to image the rewards you will earn from the Presence of your Lord, Most Gracious, Most Bounteous.

Your Question: …..I would also like to mentioned this, I leave in UAE Dubai and in this part of world there are so many banks foreign and local bank offering interest facilities and Muslims are working in the banks is it not haraam, and being an Islamic country why do the allow it, if it is Haraam,

Dear and beloved brother, ‘haraam’ and ‘halaal’ is not determined by how many muslims indulge in it, or how many so-called muslim-nations allow or disallow an act!!!! The clear and manifest barometer for the ‘haraam’ and the ‘halaal’ is the Guidance of the Glorious Quran and the authentic and established Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) alone….whatever is declared ‘haraam’ by Allah and His Messenger (saws) will remain ‘haraam’, absolutely regardless of who or how many amongst mankind are involved in it!!!!

Why the rulers or legislators of some (or unfortunately should I say all!) Islamic Nations choose to allow what Allah and His Messenger (saws) have clearly and categorically declared as absolutely ‘haraam’ (‘riba’, alcohol, fahisha, etc.) in their lands is something the rulers will have to account for on the Inevitable Day of Judgment in the Presence of their Lord Most Majestic, Most Supreme!

Allah is our witness brother, Allah Subhanah will definitely not ask you or me why the people who were bestowed with authority in the land by their Lord allowed the ‘haraam’ in their lands….but Allah forbid brother, if you or I were to intentionally indulge in the unlawful, none but we ourselves will have to account for our transgressions in the Presence of our Lord Most Majestic on that Inevitable and Tumultuous Day of Judgment…..

Your Question: ….I have taken a personal loan last year which is for 4 years, now what should I do ? and if I have to give up working in this company and search another, I am sure I won`t find a company where they don`t deal with interest, If I won`t find the job how will I repay the loan amount ?

To assume before even one has done the necessary striving that one can never ever find a lawful form of employment to earn one’s livelihood lawfully is indeed an absolutely defeatist attitude……an attitude becoming of one who does not sincerely wish to leave the unlawful rather than of a sincere believer who is willing to strive his utmost to live within the prescribed Boundaries of Allah Subhanah!

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 65 Surah Talaq verse 3:

3 And He (Allah) provides sustenance for him from (sources) he never could imagine! And if anyone puts his trust in Allah, sufficient is (Allah) for him. For Allah will surely accomplish His purpose: verily for all things has Allah appointed a due proportion.

Dear and beloved brother in Islam, if you are indeed sincere in your intentions to earn your livelihood only from lawful means, and you are willing to do the necessary striving to fulfill your intention…..and you are willing to do this only for the Sake and Pleasure of your Lord Creator….and you are willing to put your trust in the Absolutely Able and Capable Hands of your Lord Most Gracious…..rest absolutely assured that not only will your Lord Most Gracious accept and reward you for your sincere intentions, but He Will arrange to provide you from His Endless and Unending Bounties from sources you cannot even imagine!

Al-Tirmidhi HadithHadith 5299 Narrated byUmar ibn al-Khattab

Umar heard Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) say, "If you were to trust in Allah genuinely He would give you provision as He does for the birds which go out hungry in the morning and come back full in the evening."

Beloved brother in Islam, we remind you as we remind ourselves, that this short and transitory life is nothing more than a test and a trial….the real life is indeed the eternal and everlasting life of the Hereafter. Allah is our witness brother, for the period of this short trial it is always better to have a little that is lawful, rather than accumulate a mountain of treasure which is unlawful.

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