Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Firstly I thank u for this valuable subscription and I have a question of my friend to ask. My friend got an offer from a good IT Solution provider company to join as IT specialist but this company has projects from different business sectors like petroleum industries, health care, hotel industries, banking and financial institutions. His profile of job is design, install and configure IT based solutions to all including sometime banks and financial institutions (if there is any). So his point of concern is if he dose so then is it Halal or Haram.

Please answer me ASAP because he has to make a decision.

Jazakumullahukhairan.

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Working IT in Banks

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

The providing of IT solutions to any business in its essence is legal and lawful in Islam; it is the essence of the business itself which will determine whether it is lawful or unlawful.

If one facilitates any business which deals exclusively in what has been specifically declared as ‘haraam’ or unlawful by Allah and His Messenger (saws), like ‘riba’, prostitution, pornography, intoxicants, etc., then one would indeed have a share in the sin according to one’s level of participation.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 3.267 Narrated by An Numan bin Bashir

The Prophet (saws) said "Both the ‘halaal’ (legal) and the ‘haraam’ (illegal) things are obvious, and in between them are (suspicious) doubtful matters. So whoever forsakes those doubtful things lest he may commit a sin, will definitely avoid what is clearly illegal; and whoever indulges in these (suspicious) doubtful things bravely, is likely to commit what is clearly illegal. Sins are Allah's Hima (i.e. private pasture) and whoever pastures (his sheep) near it, is likely to get in it at any moment."

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan