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:

If a man commits shirk in order to gain a job, is the salary he receives for the job haram??? If so should he ask for forgiveness or leave the job???? 

(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:

Commit shirk to get job

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.

There is no bigger sin in the sight of Allah Subhanah than the heinous and unforgivable crime of ‘shirk’ (associating, invoking, or worshipping others with Allah Subhanah)!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verse 72:Whoever commits ‘shirk’ (invoking anything with Allah), Allah shall forbid for him Paradise, and Hell shall be his abode. And for such wrong doers there will be no one to help.

Allah says in the Quran: Chapter 4 Surah An-Nisa Verse 48:Shirk (associating other deities with Allah) is the only sin that Allah does not forgive, and He forgives, whomsoever He pleases, sins other than this. For whosoever associates any other partner with Allah, does indeed forge a big lie and commits the most heinous sin

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 39 Surah Zumar verse 65-66:If you commit ‘shirk’ all your works will be rendered vain and you will be among the losers. Therefore, you should worship Allah Alone, and be among His grateful servants.

If one has committed ‘shirk’, he should immediately turn to Allah Subhanah and sincerely seek His Forgiveness.

Your Question: If a man commits shirk in order to gain a job, is the salary he receives for the job haram??? If so should he ask for forgiveness or leave the job???? 

If the job by itself is permissible, and the person has unintentionally committed shirk for gaining that employment, he should immediately turn to Allah Subhanah and seek His Forgiveness; and keep the job, provided the job itself is ‘halaal’.

But if that employment is by its nature ‘haraam’, the believer, who sincerely fears Allah and the Last Day, must leave that employment and seek the bounty of Allah Subhanah somewhere else.

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

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan