Permissible and Impermissible employment

Vet treating pigs

Q: I am a qualified vet and generally treat farm animals.

Sometimes, the farmer asks me to treat a pig that is sick. I will need to examine the animal and administer the necessary medication or treatment to it. Naturally, this will involve some physical contact with the animal.

I was told that even a pig is deserving of treatment as it is the creation of Allah, and all creatures should be shown kindness. However, I want Islamic guidance in this regard.

Is this permissible? Will the money earned through this service be halaal?

Working for UberEats

Q: I work for Uber Eats and deliver food orders to customers. Sometimes, these food orders contain haraam food. I don’t know the food details before accepting the order. Will this type of earning be halaal for me?

Lawyer defending criminals in court

Q: I am a lawyer by profession. I represent people who are being prosecuted for criminal charges and defend them in court.

In many instances, the accused party confesses to me that they are guilty of the crime for which they are being charged, even though they plead 'not guilty' to the court. In such situations, is it permissible for me to defend the accused in court, knowing that I am defending a guilty person who is lying to the court?

Framing photos for people

Q: I work as a picture framer. Sometimes I receive photos of people for framing. Occasionally, Hindus bring bhagwaans for framing. Christians bring pictures of Jesus and Jews bring things of their religion. What should I do in these situations?

Employees receiving a bonus from the company

Q: I work for an engineering consulting firm. Our fees are mainly derived from consulting services for clients.

The firm is owned in a trust with the employees being the shareholders. The employees are allocated ‘shares’ based on their length of service and seniority in the firm. The employees do not buy any shares when entering into the firm, and neither do they sell any shares when leaving. Rather, the shares are merely allocated to them for the duration of their employment.

Every six months, a portion of surplus cash is allocated as profit and distributed amongst the employees according to their allocation of shares. The amount will be dependant on the performance of the company and the cash balance available at the time of allocation. No other bonus/13th cheque is paid. This profit share is over and above the regular salary that each employee receives.

Is this type of employment contract permissible?