Designing software for a delivery company

Q: I’m a software engineer currently working and residing in a Muslim majority country. I have a stable job but got a very good job offer from a delivery company in Europe. As part of the that company, I will be building web platforms that customers can use to order food, groceries, game tickets etc. The company partners with restaurants & supermarkets to deliver food and goods which can very well include pork and alcohol and the company takes the delivery fee and a comission.

The company also has a courier delivery and ticket delivery wing and I could be assigned to work on any of the particular service.

Although my job does not include direct contact with haram items, but it could be used either to order simple groceries or to order wine. There is no specific information about what share of the company’s business involves delivering alcoholic products or pork.

Is it permissible for me to take that job? Should I just stay away from it or join the company and see how close I am to building the tech which customers are going to be using for ordering haram items?

A: Building the website is permissible. However, any money received through delivery of haraam stuff will not be permissible.

And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best.

والاجارة الفاسدة على أحد عشر وجها أحدها الإجارة على المعاصي وهو أن يستأجر الرجل الرجل ليقتل رجلا أو يضربه أو يشتمه أو يستأجر النائحه أو المغنية لتنوح على ميتة أو لتغني له أو يستأجر حمالا ليحمل له خمرا أو غيره فإن استأجرها على أن يطرح عنه ميتة أو يصب خمرا فهو جائز وله الأجرة ولا أجرة على المعاصي لا المسماة ولا المثل (النتف في الفتاوى 2/574)

Answered by:

Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)