Business and Dealings

Earnings of a web developer

Q: I am a web developer. I did a job of a website which has some relation with alcohol. I didn't know before I accept the job.

Details: I got a job more than 1 year ago to build a website. That is a "Tour website". I built it's structure, and they filled up their content themselves. After the first contract was done, they contracted me time to time for more small work of structure changing in the same website. Once I noticed that their tour package names are "... place BEER Package", "... place WINE Package" etc. I cannot remember, when exactly I noticed it. But, since I noticed "BEER,WINE", I'm confused about my earning from it.

Today I asked them: "Alcohol (Beer, Wine etc.) is involved with your business. Right?"

They answered: "Yes" "Not really though" "We sell the trip to places, we don't sell alcohol on our tours"

I asked them again: "Isn't your package price included alcohol cost?"

They answered: "" (they didn't answered)

Note1: The total is a big amount. The amount is not easy for me to sacrifice anytime. I need time to earn it. Otherwise I could sacrifice it without any question.

Note2: I follow Hanafi madhab.

Now my questions are:

1. Is it haram for me, what all I earned from that website work?

2. What should I do about the money I earned before I know about the alcohol involvement?

3. What should I do about the money I earned after I know about alcohol involvement?

Pursuing a career in science

Q: I always wanted to acquire the knowledge of Deen and live my life in the service of Deen. Unfortunately, until now, I have not been able to pursue Deeni studies. Currently, I am 23 years old and I don’t think I can pursue full time Deeni studies right now. So I am thinking about pursuing study and research in material science with the aim of serving Islam through this knowledge, and also with the aim of discovering solutions for some of the problems which humanity faces as a whole nowadays like global warming, pollution, lack of clean drinking water, etc.

1. Many Ahaadith mention the virtue of acquiring Deeni knowledge. If I study science, will I also receive this virtue? Will I be rewarded by Allah  for studying science?

2. Should I abandon studying and earning a livelihood and instead spend my life in serving Deen?

Unable to trace who a payment was received from

Q: I work in the accounts dept of a company. We receive payments into our bank account from customers. Sometimes we receive payments but we cant trace who the money came from. After a few months if no one has come forward to claim the money we give it away in charity. My question is, can I give the money to a fellow employee of the same company who has some loans that they are unable to settle?

Is the answer the same if the employee is owing the loan to the company itself?

Adverts appearing on free websites

Q: WordPress.com is a website hosting service provider. The company offers a free website plan (package). A downside of the free plan is that WordPress.com will occasional display an advertisement on one's website. One has no control over the content and images appearing in these advertisements. As long as the advertised content is not (sexually) mature or illegal, it can appear on one's website. All advertisements are either a still image or a playable video. The appearance of haraam advertisements are likely and are often observed. One does not gain any income from these advertisements in the free package. Only logged-in WordPress account holders do not see advertisements.

1. Is it permissible to host an Islamic website using this free WordPress.com website plan?

2. Is it permissible to host a non-Islamic website using this free WordPress.com website plan?

3. Is it permissible to host and design websites for non-Muslims using this free WordPress.com website plan?

Taking leave from work

Q: Our office says that we have 22 paid leaves in a year, and we can utilize them in any case of emergency. But if there are no emergencies then you cannot take a leave, and after a year if there are some leaves left they will be wasted, because we didnt utilized them.

At the end of the year if we did not fall sick or needed any emergency then our leaves are wasted. My problem is that I spend 9 hours in the office and remaining few hours in home, do the normal stuff like prayer, eating, house things, so I have very less time for Quran studies and Arabic studies. I have started it but the progress is slow and I want to do more but time is not there.

So now I cant take leave saying that I want to learn Quran or Arabic, I will have to fall sick or any emergency, or else it will be a lie, but I know each minute is important, I want to use this time in a good way, Allah is my top priority not the job, so how can I use those 22 leaves for a better purpose, compared to doing stuff at office.

Can I lie to my boss that I am sick and then I study and learn Islam all day, is that right?