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:

There are many airlines in the world which carry alcoholic drinks on their international flights. Is it permissible to work as a pilot for these airlines or as any other job on the same flights?

Also one of my friends told me you cannot work in the cloths shops in UK as they sell mini skirts. But I told him you can as the product itself is not haraam, but only the person using it in public will be doing a haraam thing. Am I right or wrong?

Is it possible to take up jobs in the supermarkets in the UK if our family is in dire need of income? I am against it, but all others are supporting. Could you kindly tell me what I should do?

Appreciate your reply and thanks, 

(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 airlines supermarkets

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.

There are few things or products for which Islam has absolutely ‘zero-tolerance’…..for example, intoxicants, gambling, ‘riba’ (interest), ‘fahisha’ (indecent or shameful acts), etc. and it would be considered absolutely inappropriate for a believer who sincerely believes in Allah and the Last Day to work for or facilitate any thing or act which has clearly been declared as ‘haraam’ or unlawful by Allah and His Messenger (saws).

Thus if one works for or is employed by a business which deals solely in ‘haraam’ products or services, or whose primary business is from unlawful products….for example bars serving alcohol, or gambling casinos, or prostitution dens, or interest-based commercial banks, etc…..without an iota of a doubt, one would share an appropriate burden of the sin for dealing in and facilitating products and services which have been clearly declared as ‘haraam’ by Allah and His Messenger (saws).

The primary business or service offered by the airlines is transportation of people and goods, not the serving of alcohol….and the primary business of most super-markets is selling food-stuff and household products, not alcohol or flesh of swine alone. Because in essence the primary business of the airlines and/or the supermarkets does not deal solely in the haraam, one cannot say with conviction that the salary one gets paid from working in such establishment is unlawful….and Allah Alone Knows Best.

But if one were to work as a steward in those flights and serve alcohol, or one were to work as a cashier in the supermarkets and thus facilitate the selling of alcohol, etc…..they would indeed bear their appropriate share of the burden of the sin.

It would be best and safest for a believer to seek to employ his talents elsewhere where the boundaries of Allah are not violated; and if one makes this intention only for the sake and fear of Allah Subhanah, it is expected that not only will their Lord Most Gracious provide for them from His Endless Bounties in the life of this world, but He will appreciate their noble intention and striving, and bestow upon them a generous reward in the eternal life of the Hereafter.

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