Permissible and Impermissible employment

Working for a company that is involved in making arms

Q: I am trying to find out for a friend the permissibility of working for a company that is mainly involved with making/creating arms and selling them to companies globally including countries that use them to kill Muslims. The companies main areas of business are Defence (80%) and remainder Space/Travel. He would be working in the IT division and would have no direct involvement with the defence areas of business. He has asked a few well known scholars who said it would be deemed permissible but wasn't able to get any elaboration/clarification as to how it was exactly permissible. The company is also involved in talks with creating an office in Tel Aviv.

Cooking at functions

Q: My wife and I assist with the cooking at functions for which we receive remuneration. At times, the functions are un-Islamic (engagements) and there is open violation of Shari’ah laws (e.g. intermingling of sexes). We are in no way involved with the function. We only assist with the cooking and kitchen. Is it permissible for us to assist with the cooking and is the money earned halaal?

Studying electrical engineering

Q: I would like to study and become and electrical engineer. I live in the UK and working in this field means doing the job in domestic homes, factories, outside work, in offices and business, construction sites etc. Also men and women mixing is unavoidable. There may be a time (whether it's continuous or not) when I have a female client for a home domestic job, or an office company where men and women mix and whose company is something haram or a mix of haram and halal, like insurance or entertainment, restaurant that may sell alcohol. 

My question is: Can I still do this work for clients or provide them my services who may sometimes be women or a business which is haram, as the work may be varied; so one day at someone's home who is a woman or a business whose dealings are either haram or mixed, and another day with men and with a business that is halal for example?  Do I need to be picky? My job would be to just provide them with a service and my intention would be to earn a living. Would my earning be haram in any way?

Working for a bank

Q: I hope you're in the best of Imaan and health by the grace of Allah Ta'ala. I'm a graduate with finance and economics Alhamdulillah. However, I find myself getting into a job at a conventional bank. I'm in a training program with 1 of the big 4 banks in SA to be placed as a teller or consultant. I know the severity of being involved with interest in all angles of such a transaction, so my heart pains & I feel very unhappy about the road I'm on at the moment. Allah Ta'ala has made me very conscious of Him in my actions. I thus want out of this position & if I were in a position to wait for a permissible job, I would do that right now. My family is not in that position. My dad doesn't have employment & my mum is not well now. I'd really appreciate your invaluable advice on a way forward. May you also please tell me what I can recite for my mum's recovery from cancer?

Interest and usury

Q: I needed to ask that I have completed my BBA(H) just now. During the course, I wasn't practising Islam - the only true religion that much. From since 19 years, I had been living with my mother only as my parents separated from each other when I was only 5. Since then, she had been bearing my expenses. I have a sister too who got married few months ago. We live at our late grandmother's house. My mother got her share from her dad's property and all money was saved in to national savings scheme which made her get different saving certificates that included some interest. I never know that much about Islam. Though I was aware of the prohibition of forbidden interest in Islam. But I wasn't that much involved in Islam. I was a Muslim by name only. But now, I am getting much more involved in Islam. I pray 5 times a day and recite and even memorise Qur'an which I try my best to do so. Since then, I try to ignore all that is illegal in Islam. After the completion of BBA, my mother and sister expects from me to do a job. I once applied for a bank. Now they have called me for an interview. But, I rejected them. Once again, I got an offer from another bank through PR. And my family is just insisting on me, teasing me 24/7 to work there as I am not finding any job nowadays. My mother just wants a good future for me and needs to witness the circumstances which she ever desired for. I am getting an extremist in accordance with my religion. I am getting disturbed day by day. As they are almost taunting me, every single moment of my life. I have applied for halaal jobs like marketing or any other job, but I am not getting any proper response. As mentioned before, I am the only male member of my family. And, I have to support my family but since I was not in to Islam, I try to repent to Allah Ta'ala for my previous sins. Now I can't go for another major Sin. Please advice me. Suggest me considering me in place of your son. I am totally disturbed and not in my normal mental state now. It is also important to note that all of my education of BBA is from the interest amount, certificates and the principal amount. I wasn't much in to Islam before. That means my knowledge is also Haram? I am just not able to sleep. I am not just able to live my life. Please advice me and kindly give me a reply as soon as you read my message. 

Assisting in evil and sin

Q: 

  1. I am working virtually (from Pakistan) for an Irish Solicitors firm. I listen and type their dictations. They have all kind of cases including same sex marriage, family, employment etc. Is my job halaal?
  2. I have a job offer from a US based marketing company where I have to assist them in setting up their marketing campaigns. The campaigns I have to work on include financing, insurance, loans, mortgages, dating etc. Mostly my working is copying and pasting information/data from one system to another but at one step I have to visit different websites and decide which one is better for their advertisements to display on. Can I work for them?

Working as a teller in the bank

Q: I have a job interview working for a bank in the USA. I was told that it is haraam to work for an American or foreign bank because they deal with interest rates (RIBA). However when I work there I will be at the cashier, depositing the clients money in their account, not directly with riba. Please advice if this is haraam or halaal?

Working for a company that studies fingerprints

Q: We run a DMIT company (dermatoglyphic multiple intelligence analysis). This is based on the science of dermatoglyphics (study of fingerprints) which reveals a person's inborn brain lobe functions, diagnosis of psychological disorders, learning sensitivity, multiple intelligence, learning style, brain skills, personality traits etc based on study of finger ridges of an individual. Is it allowed in Islam to work for such a company?