Question
I work in the software development industry, and received an opportunity to work for a well-known asset management company - Allan Gray. Considering the nature of their business and income, would it be permissible for me to work as a software developer i.e. building applications, improving software for the business and its clients. If it is deemed impermissible in my case, would the same ruling then apply for banks and insurance companies?
Answer
As a general rule, entering into any contract or undertaking any work that will certainly (yaqīn) or probably (ẓann al-rājiḥ) directly cause or lead to ḥarām is impermissible. However, if there is merely doubt or uncertainty as to whether the work undertaken will cause or lead to ḥarām, it is considered reprehensible (makrūh). A well-known example cited by our jurists is that it is ḥarām to sell grapes to someone whom one knows or strongly suspects will use them to produce wine.
Consider the following:
1. Developing software is permissible in itself. However, the ruling regarding your specific role depends on the nature and function of the software you develop.
2. If the software you develop directly facilitates or automates prohibited activities, then developing such software is impermissible.
3. If the software you develop supports general infrastructure, cybersecurity, platform administration, or systems dedicated to permissible equities and Sharīʿah-compliant funds, then developing such software is permissible, and accepting employment in such a role would likewise be permissible.
4. If it is genuinely uncertain or doubtful whether the software will be used for prohibited activities, then developing it would be considered makrūh, and accepting the position would likewise be permissible but makrūh.
5. Regarding banks, the same general principle applies, but with greater caution. Since the core business of conventional banks involves ḥarām elements such as ribā and gharar (uncertainty), developing software that directly supports their financial products or core operations would be impermissible. Roles limited to genuinely neutral functions, such as network security or generic hardware support, would, however, be permissible. Nonetheless, avoiding employment with such institutions altogether is preferable.
6. As for offering your services with insurance companies, the same general principles mentioned above will apply. Scholars debate regarding the permissibility of insurance. When the insurance is deemed permissible, rendering services for that insurance is likewise permissible and when deemed impermissible, rendering services that may directly aid ḥarām will be ḥarām. You may consult our fatwa on conventional insurance for further details.
7. Notwithstanding the above, if the nature of the work is deemed ḥarām, but one’s circumstances are dire and this is the only available employment opportunity to meet one’s basic needs, one may accept the employment temporarily while earnestly seeking a ḥalāl alternative income that covers one’s essential expenses, even if it offers a lower income than the current offer.
والله أعلم
And Allah knows best.
النصوص المستند إليها:
- التسبب في المعصية والإعانة عليها
(ﻭﺑﻴﻊ) ﻧﺤﻮ (اﻟﺮﻃﺐ ﻭاﻟﻌﻨﺐ ﻟﻌﺎﺻﺮ اﻟﺨﻤﺮ) ﺃﻱ ﻟﻤﻦ ﻳﻈﻦ ﻣﻨﻪ ﻋﺼﺮﻩ ﺧﻤﺮا ﺃﻭ ﻣﺴﻜﺮا ﻛﻤﺎ ﺩﻝ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﺭﺑﻂ اﻟﺤﺮﻣﺔ اﻟﺘﻲ ﺃﻓﺎﺩﻫﺎ اﻟﻌﻄﻒ ﺑﻮﺻﻒ ﻋﺼﺮﻩ ﻟﻠﺨﻤﺮ ﻓﻼ اﻋﺘﺮاﺽ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﺧﻼﻓﺎ ﻟﻤﻦ ﺯﻋﻤﻪ ﻭاﺧﺘﺼﺎﺹ اﻟﺨﻤﺮ ﺑﺎﻟﻤﻌﺘﺼﺮ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻌﻨﺐ ﻻ ﻳﻨﺎﻓﻲ ﻋﺒﺎﺭﺗﻪ ﻫﺬﻩ ﺧﻼﻓﺎ ﻟﻤﻦ ﺯﻋﻤﻪ ﺃﻳﻀﺎ ﻷﻥ ﻋﺼﺮﻩ ﻟﻠﺨﻤﺮ ﻗﺮﻳﻨﺔ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻋﺼﺮﻩ ﻟﻠﻨﺒﻴﺬ اﻟﺼﺎﺩﻕ ﺑﺎﻟﻤﺘﺨﺬ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺮﻃﺐ ﻓﺬﻛﺮﻩ ﻓﻴﻪ ﻟﻠﻘﺮﻳﻨﺔ ﻻ ﻷﻧﻪ ﻳﺴﻤﻰ ﺧﻤﺮا ﻋﻠﻰ ﺃﻧﻪ ﻗﺪ ﻳﺴﻤﺎﻩ ﻣﺠﺎﺯا ﺷﺎﺋﻌﺎ ﺃﻭ ﺗﻐﻠﻴﺒﺎ ﻭﺩﻟﻴﻞ ﺫﻟﻚ «ﻟﻌﻨﻪ - ﺻﻠﻰ اﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ - ﻓﻲ اﻟﺨﻤﺮ ﻋﺸﺮﺓ ﻋﺎﺻﺮﻫﺎ ﻭﻣﻌﺘﺼﺮﻫﺎ» اﻟﺤﺪﻳﺚ. اﻟﺪاﻝ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺣﺮﻣﺔ ﻛﻞ ﺗﺴﺒﺐ ﻓﻲ ﻣﻌﺼﻴﺔ ﻭﺇﻋﺎﻧﺔ ﻋﻠﻴﻬﺎ ﻭﺯﻋﻢ ﺃﻥ اﻷﻛﺜﺮﻳﻦ ﻫﻨﺎ ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﺤﻞ ﺃﻱ ﻣﻊ اﻟﻜﺮاﻫﺔ ﻳﺘﻌﻴﻦ ﺣﻤﻠﻪ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻣﺎ ﺇﺫا ﺷﻚ ﻓﻲ ﻋﺼﺮﻩ ﻟﻪ ﻭﻣﺜﻞ ﺫﻟﻚ ﻛﻞ ﺗﺼﺮﻑ ﻳﻔﻀﻲ ﻟﻤﻌﺼﻴﺔ ﻛﺒﻴﻊ ﻣﺨﺪﺭ ﻟﻤﻦ ﻳﻈﻦ ﺃﻛﻠﻪ اﻟﻤﺤﺮﻡ ﻟﻪ ﻭﺃﻣﺮﺩ ﻣﻤﻦ ﻋﺮﻑ ﺑﺎﻟﻔﺠﻮﺭ ﻭﺃﻣﺔ ﻣﻤﻦ ﻳﺘﺨﺬﻫﺎ ﻟﻨﺤﻮ ﻏﻨﺎء ﻣﺤﺮﻡ ﻭﺧﺸﺐ ﻟﻤﻦ ﻳﺘﺨﺬﻩ ﺁﻟﺔ ﻟﻬﻮ ﻭﺛﻮﺏ ﺣﺮﻳﺮ ﻟﺮﺟﻞ ﻳﻠﺒﺴﻪ ﻓﺈﻥ ﻗﻠﺖ ﻫﻮ ﻫﻨﺎ ﻋﺎﺟﺰ ﻋﻦ اﻟﺘﺴﻠﻴﻢ ﺷﺮﻋﺎ ﻓﻠﻢ ﺻﺢ اﻟﺒﻴﻊ ﻗﻠﺖ ﻣﻤﻨﻮﻉ ﻷﻥ اﻟﻌﺠﺰ ﻋﻨﻪ ﻟﻴﺲ ﻟﻮﺻﻒ ﻻﺯﻡ ﻓﻲ اﻟﻤﺒﻴﻊ ﺑﻞ ﻓﻲ اﻟﺒﺎﺋﻊ ﺧﺎﺭﺝ ﻋﻤﺎ ﻳﺘﻌﻠﻖ ﺑﺎﻟﻤﺒﻴﻊ ﻭﺷﺮﻭﻃﻪ ﻭﺑﻪ ﻓﺎﺭﻕ اﻟﺒﻄﻼﻥ اﻵﺗﻲ ﻓﻲ اﻟﺘﻔﺮﻳﻖ ﻭاﻟﺴﺎﺑﻖ ﻓﻲ ﺑﻴﻊ اﻟﺴﻼﺡ ﻟﻠﺤﺮﺑﻲ ﻷﻧﻪ ﻟﻮﺻﻒ ﻓﻲ ﺫاﺕ اﻟﻤﺒﻴﻊ ﻣﻮﺟﻮﺩ ﺣﺎﻟﺔ اﻟﺒﻴﻊ.
ﻓﺈﻥ ﻗﻠﺖ ﻳﺸﻜﻞ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﺻﺤﺔ ﺑﻴﻊ اﻟﺴﻼﺡ ﻟﻘﺎﻃﻊ اﻟﻄﺮﻳﻖ ﻣﻊ ﻭﺟﻮﺩ ﺫﻟﻚ ﻓﻴﻪ ﻗﻠﺖ ﻳﻔﺮﻕ ﺑﺄﻥ ﻭﺻﻒ اﻟﺤﺮاﺑﺔ اﻟﻤﻘﺘﻀﻲ ﻟﺘﻘﻮﻳﺘﻬﻢ ﻋﻠﻴﻨﺎ ﺑﻪ ﻣﻮﺟﻮﺩ ﺣﺎﻝ اﻟﺒﻴﻊ ﺑﺨﻼﻑ ﻭﺻﻒ ﻗﻄﻌﻪ اﻟﻄﺮﻳﻖ ﻓﺈﻧﻪ ﺃﻣﺮ ﻣﺘﺮﻗﺐ ﻭﻻ ﻋﺒﺮﺓ ﺑﻤﺎ ﻣﻀﻰ ﻣﻨﻪ ﻓﺘﺄﻣﻞ ﺫﻟﻚ ﻛﻠﻪ ﻟﻴﻨﺪﻓﻊ ﻋﻨﻚ ﻣﺎ ﻟﻠﺴﺒﻜﻲ ﻭﻏﻴﺮﻩ ﻫﻨﺎ ﻭﺃﻓﺘﻰ اﺑﻦ اﻟﺼﻼﺡ ﻭﺃﻗﺮﻭﻩ ﻓﻴﻤﻦ ﺣﻤﻠﺖ ﺃﻣﺘﻬﺎ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻓﺴﺎﺩ ﺑﺄﻧﻬﺎ ﺗﺒﺎﻉ ﻋﻠﻴﻬﺎ ﻗﻬﺮا ﺇﺫا ﺗﻌﻴﻦ اﻟﺒﻴﻊ ﻃﺮﻳﻘﺎ ﺇﻟﻰ ﺧﻼﺻﻬﺎ ﻛﻤﺎ ﺃﻓﺘﻰ اﻟﻘﺎﺿﻲ ﻓﻴﻤﻦ ﻳﻜﻠﻒ ﻗﻨﻪ ﻣﺎ ﻻ ﻳﻄﻴﻖ ﺑﺄﻧﻪ ﻳﺒﺎﻉ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﺗﺨﻠﻴﺼﺎ ﻟﻪ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺬﻝ ﻭﻣﺤﻠﻪ ﺇﻥ ﻟﻢ ﻳﻤﻜﻦ ﺗﺨﻠﻴﺼﻪ ﺇﻻ ﺑﺒﻴﻌﻪ ﻛﻤﺎ ﻳﺸﻴﺮ ﺇﻟﻴﻪ ﻛﻼﻣﻬﻢ
(تحفة المحتاج)
- ﻋﻤﻞ اﻟﻤﺴﻠﻢ ﻓﻲ اﻟﻜﻨﻴﺴﺔ
30 - ﺫﻫﺐ ﺟﻤﻬﻮﺭ اﻟﻔﻘﻬﺎء ﺇﻟﻰ ﺃﻧﻪ ﻻ ﻳﺠﻮﺯ ﻟﻠﻤﺴﻠﻢ ﺃﻥ ﻳﻌﻤﻞ ﻷﻫﻞ اﻟﺬﻣﺔ ﻓﻲ اﻟﻜﻨﻴﺴﺔ ﻧﺠﺎﺭا ﺃﻭ ﺑﻨﺎء ﺃﻭ ﻏﻴﺮ ﺫﻟﻚ، ﻷﻧﻪ ﺇﻋﺎﻧﺔ ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﻤﻌﺼﻴﺔ، ﻭﻣﻦ ﺧﺼﺎﺋﺺ ﺩﻳﻨﻬﻢ اﻟﺒﺎﻃﻞ، ﻭﻷﻧﻪ ﺇﺟﺎﺭﺓ ﺗﺘﻀﻤﻦ ﺗﻌﻈﻴﻢ ﺩﻳﻨﻬﻢ ﻭﺷﻌﺎﺋﺮﻫﻢ، ﻭﺯاﺩ اﻟﻤﺎﻟﻜﻴﺔ ﺑﺄﻧﻪ ﻳﺆﺩﺏ اﻟﻤﺴﻠﻢ ﺇﻻ ﺃﻥ ﻳﻌﺘﺬﺭﺑﺠﻬﺎﻟﺔ. ﻭﺫﻫﺐ اﻟﺤﻨﻔﻴﺔ ﺇﻟﻰ ﺃﻧﻪ ﻟﻮ ﺁﺟﺮ ﻧﻔﺴﻪ ﻟﻴﻌﻤﻞ ﻓﻲ اﻟﻜﻨﻴﺴﺔ ﻭﻳﻌﻤﺮﻫﺎ ﻻ ﺑﺄﺱ ﺑﻪ ﻷﻧﻪ ﻻ ﻣﻌﺼﻴﺔ ﻓﻲ ﻋﻴﻦ اﻟﻌﻤﻞ.
(الموسوعة الفقهية)