He is afraid that he will not find a job; can he work in a riba-based bank?
Question I work as a teacher at different places but my position is not permanent.So when the semesters are off then neither I get any salary nor I am sure about my place to teach in the next semester.Even now I will be jobless once my semester is off.Technically I consider myself jobless.I am getting…
Question
Praise be to Allah.
Working in banks that deal
with riba is haraam, because of the hadeeth of Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased
with him) who said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) cursed the one who consumes riba and the one who pays
it, the one who writes it down and the two who witness it, and he said: they
are all the same. Narrated by Muslim (2995).
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have
mercy on him) said:
This clearly shows that it
is haraam to write down the contract between two who are engaging in riba,
and to bear witness to it, and that it is haraam to assist in falsehood. End
quote.
The one who works in a
riba-based bank will inevitably be involved in one of these scenarios that
were mentioned by al-Nawawi; he will either write down or record riba, or
witness it, or help those who are dealing in riba in their falsehood.
You have to fear Allaah and
look for permissible work; Allaah will never forsake you if you fear Him and
put your trust in Him. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And whosoever fears
Allaah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out
(from every difficulty).
3. And He will provide
him from (sources) he never could imagine”
[al-Talaaq 65:2-3]
If you are faced with
hardship, then be patient, and be certain that relief will come, for
hardship is followed by relief, as Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
“Verily, along with
every hardship is relief,
6. Verily, along with
every hardship is relief”
[al-Sharh 94:5-6]
But if you reach a state of
necessity and you fear that you may die if you do not consume something
haraam, in this case Allaah has permitted you to consume enough haraam to
ward off harm from yourself. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“He has explained to you
in detail what is forbidden to you, except under compulsion of necessity”
[al-A’naam 6:119].
This situation is in fact
unlikely to arise, because you will never be without permissible work from
which you can earn enough to cover the necessities. We ask Allaah to grant
you sufficient by means of that which He has permitted so that you will have
no need of that which He has forbidden.
And Allaah knows best.
