Working in a company which pays employees' salaries from forbidden money
21-5-2006 | IslamWeb
Question:
I'm a sister who works fulltime at financial institution where the money they pay us comes from interest. However, I study part-time and I do not take loans with interest and would like to stay in the company to work part-time for them so I can finish my university. I also have another option of looking for a job in a company where the money the company makes is mixed. In Canada everthing is polluted with interest. I would like to know which route should I take to be more obeidient to Allah. Jazaka Allah Khairan
Answer:
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.
First of all, you should know that whenever a Muslim knows that all the money of the company he works for is forbidden, it is not permissible for him to work there or take the wages thereof, as this is a dealing with forbidden money invested in the worse forbidden field. However, if one does not know this, or that the money of the company is mixed from permissible and forbidden money, then there is no harm in taking his wages from the company.
Ibn Taymiyyah
said: ‘If a Muslim knows that a wealth [money] is taken by force or obtained through illegal contracts, then he must avoid it.’
Therefore, you are obliged to stop work in an institution which pays the wages of its employees from forbidden money, but you are allowed to work in a company whose money are mixed while observing the religious requirements for a woman to work, and this is discussed in Fatwa 83607.
Allaah Knows best.