Working in companies that may deal with some Haram : designing programs for gambling

السؤال

[Question One] : As-Salamu`Alaykum Wa Rahmatu Allah Wa Barakatuh I have received the following question from a brother in Reno. He asks about his job whether it is lawful or not.. Pls. help and give him counseling because he is one of the most active members of the Muslim community in Reno. Following is his question : I am really concerned that I will appear that I am looking for a loophole to use for my Haram job, I feel deep inside that it is Haram, but here is my job description any way. I work as a network engineer for a company that manufactures and sells slot machines that are used for gambling in casinos all over the world. One type of slot machines is called "Progressive" games, in which a number of games are connected together so the when a player makes a wager he or she are betting on winning the jack pot which is all the money in all the machines that are connected together. These machines can be in one casino or in several casinos across the state. These machines are connected together by a Network that uses switches and cables and Microsoft servers and PCs. My job is to install these servers and make sure the network is performing efficiently for the games to report the amounts of money they contain, so they can share the winnings. I also test the software and decide the functionality of the hardware needed. This company's earnings are 100 % from selling or leasing these slot machines to casinos, and the casinos get their money from people who go gambling. So my question is a) Can I continue to work in this company b) I have worked in this industry for 6 years new so how do I purify my earned money that I have from this job if it is determined to be Haram So, pls. dr. help me and that brother in knowing whether it is ok for him to continue in his job or not ? Visiting Imam of the NNMC [Question Two] : As-Salamu `Alayukm, Jazka Allah Khyran for your constant help and assistance. I just need a clarification: how far this case is different from working in the IT department in a bank, which is deemed permissible by your eminence and other scholars. I just need clarification because I know that the brother who sent me this question will act accordingly and therefore I just need to be very clear regarding it. Following is the fatwa you Dr. issued in this regard : "As regards your question, we'd like to state that it is permissible to work in any department in a conventional bank as long as you do not prepare any interest-based contracts or sign them on behalf of the bank. Here is the Fatwa issued by Dr. Monzer Kahf, a prominent economist and counselor, who states : it is permissible to work in any department in a conventional bank, credit department, the IT or software department or others, as long as you do not prepare any interest-based contracts or sign them on behalf of the bank. This is the opinion of the greatest Shari`ah scholar of our time, the late Sheikh Mustafa al-Zarqa (died 1999), Sheikh Al-Qaradawi, Sheikh As-Salami of Tunisia and Sheikh Adh-Dhareer of Sudan. The argument is that such jobs in conventional banks are not included in the wrath of Allah that is mentioned by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) on the giver of Riba (interest), its taker, its writer and its two witnesses (reported by Muslim). Besides, a prohibition of working in banks places unnecessary inconvenience and hardship on Muslims both in the Muslim majority countries and Muslim communities of other countries. Dr. Monzer adds : Working in conventional banks is not Haram unless the worker is in the area of making loan contracts with customers. If you are in IT, you do not make these contracts and your work is permissible. To claim otherwise requires evidence from Shari`ah because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) declared that the wrath of Allah is on the Riba taker, giver, writer and witnesses. You do not have to extend this la`nah (wrath) to word processors, tellers, IT or software persons and guards of a bank. Besides, not all conventional banks' activities are in the area of interest ; they also provide several other permissible services."" Jazka Allah Khyran

جواب الفتوى

أنقر هنالمشاهدة هذا المحتوى

تاريخ النشر

2006-10-05

التخصصات الرئيسية

العلوم الاقتصادية والمالية وإدارة الأعمال
الدراسات الإسلامية

عدد الصفحات

3

نوع البيانات

فتاوى

لغة النص

الإنجليزية

رقم السجل

BIM-788478

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