Fatwa ID: 04057

Answered by: Imam Abdul-Malik Sheikh

Question

Assalamu Alaykum Mufti Sahib,

I have a question: I work for a university and they have hired me as a professor to graduate students. The problem is that graduate students borrow loans with interest and pay the university with those loans. Our school depends on these students to bring in the tuition money which in turn runs the college (majority of funding comes from these tuitions). I feel suspicious of this income. The college has another source of income which are the patients we see in the clinic who pay to get their services. Is this income halal?

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer:

As far as I understand, in the United Kingdom, the universities do not benefit from any interest that is paid on the student loan. The repayment of the student loan is made by the student to the government or via the student loan company. The student loan company charges interest from the day the students make their first payment to them or university or college until student loan is repaid in full or cancelled.

It is not a requirement from the universities for students to take out an interest-based loan as they can choose to pay the tuition-free upfront or get help via a non-interest-based loan.

Generally speaking, it is not allowed for a person to undertake work which is Haram or is in assisting Haram. Also, the source of one’s income or salary cannot be from any Haram source.

However, if the work is lawful and the salary is a mixture of Haram and Halal wealth of which the majority is Halal, it will be permissible to accept this money as Halal income.[1]

Therefore, in answer to your question, there is no harm in working as a lecturer as you are not doing or assisting in anything Haram and the source of your salary is not from any Haram source.

Only Allah knows best

Written by Imam Abdul-Malik Sheikh

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham