Can I Work for a Website Design Company That Develops Websites for Impermissible Businesses?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
My query is about my job and whether it’s permissible for me to carry on with it or leave it.
The company I’m working for designs and develops websites for businesses, so they want me to promote their company to get more clients. However, I realized that some businesses had designed websites for our alcohol businesses (like bars), and some are beauty related (so they have used images of non-Muslim women showing their awra).
So my job is to promote the company I work for on social media to get more clients to make websites. So is it permissible for me to do this because I’ll have to use images of non-Muslim women exposing their awra, and I’ll have to use images of alcoholic drinks? I’m worried about promoting haram things, even if it is indirectly, so I wanted to know its ruling.
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate
It would not be permissible to work for the company as you are involved directly using impermissible images.
It would be permissible if they allowed you to choose your work tasks and not be part of putting up impermissible images.
You can work for the company until you find another job disliking some of the impermissible elements in one’s heart.
Degrees of Assisting Another in Sin
In the Hanafi school, the degrees of assisting another in sin are:
- Direct assistance in sin
- Indirect assistance in sin
- A possible cause for sin. [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar; Nahlawi, Durar al-Mubaha; Usmani, Fiqh al-Buyu’]
The Reward for Leaving Something for Allah’s Sake
Abu Qatada (Allah be pleased with him) reported the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Verily, you will never leave anything for the sake of Allah Most High but that Allah will replace it with something better for you.” [Ahmad]
Check these links:
What Are the Principles of Work and Assisting in Sin? [Video] – SeekersGuidance
Is It Considered Assisting in Sin to Develop Software for Casinos, Banks, or Insurance Companies? – SeekersGuidance
Why not begin your search for knowledge by signing up for a course on
SeekersAcademy (seekersguidance.org)
I pray this helps with your question.
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally-trained scholar who has studied within UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan and Turkey.
He started his early education in UK. He went onto complete hifz of Qur’an in India, then enrolled into an Islamic seminary in UK where he studied the secular and Alimiyyah sciences. He then travelled to Karachi, Pakistan.
He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for a number of years. He has taught hifz of the Qur’an, Tajwid, Fiqh and many other Islamic sciences to both children and adults onsite and online extensively in UK and Ireland. He was teaching at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences.
He currently resides in UK with his wife. His personal interest is love of books and gardening.
