December 14, 2024
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Key Points
- Employment and Earnings:
- Wages are permissible if no haram condition is attached to the job or wage.
- Earnings from halal tasks within a haram workplace setting are still considered halal if haram activities are not part of the job conditions.
- Haram money (e.g., stolen funds) must be returned to the rightful owner or given as sadaqah without the intention of reward.
- Graphic Design Example:
- If conditions such as including impermissible imagery are not specified but occur later, the act is sinful, but the wages remain halal.
- Delivery Jobs:
- If no haram items are stipulated in the job description, wages are halal even if haram items are unknowingly delivered.
- Banking and Interest:
- Jobs in interest-based banking systems are conditionally permissible depending on the setting (e.g., non-Muslim majority contexts).
- Interest is impermissible between Muslims but may be permissible under necessity in non-Muslim contexts (Dar al-Harb).
- Stock Market Investments:
- Stock trading is permissible if there is certainty of tangible ownership and no speculative gambling.
- Investing in businesses that involve haram activities makes the earnings impermissible.
- Institutional investors are treated differently due to their direct control and accountability in company assets.
- Wastage and Sustainability:
- Extravagance and wastage of resources (e.g., water, electricity, food) reduce barakah (blessings) and can lead to accountability on the Day of Judgment.
Quranic References and Hadith
- Prohibition of Riba (Interest):
- Hadith: “Allah has prohibited interest…” discussed to explain its implications among Muslims and non-Muslims.
- Guidance on Transactions:
- A Sahabi’s example in trading dates shows how improper exchanges are corrected to avoid interest-like practices.
- Accountability for Haram:
- Hadith emphasizes that consuming haram earnings affects every aspect of one’s life (clothing, sustenance, actions).
Important Information
- Concept of Maal (Wealth):
- Sacred in Islam, requiring careful and lawful handling.
- Investments must have tangible and halal outcomes.
- Advice on Loans and Gifts:
- Loans between Muslims should avoid even the appearance of interest.
- Gifts related to loan repayments are impermissible unless part of a prior exchange culture.
- Non-Muslim Banking:
- It is permissible to benefit from interest in non-Muslim countries if no deception is involved.
Questions and Answers
Example Exchange:
Q: “Can Muslims exchange interest loans among themselves in non-Muslim countries?”
A: Interest is permissible in non-Muslim contexts if necessity dictates, but efforts should be made to frame transactions in a non-interest format.