Fatwa ID: 05011

Answered by: Maulana Mohammed Kamran Abid

Question

My husband is a software engineer. Previously he worked for an Online Educational Company which promoted books, games, and guidelines for teachers. Though it had an element of cartoons and music (which could have been turned off). Was the previous job Halal? Can we keep the small amount of money he has saved from that job?

Now the second company is basically somewhat like an Online advertising company that amalgamates technology and service (no aspect of pictures etc, only mere coding) to list products of several companies on forums like Google, Amazon, and Facebook, etc. They have a huge pool of clients like several departmental stores, there are several companies that sell clothes, shoes and so on. There have never been banks and out of their hundreds of clients, I believe, my husband has across two alcohol-based companies. Now the nature of his work is such that although he doesn’t particularly make a program to help these alcohol companies in specific, all for all companies, so, a program that he designed was not specific for alcohol company but it happens to benefits along with 100s (estimation but it’s a big venture) of other companies as all companies are linked through that one program lets say. Is the income Halal? Does he need to give any portion of the income earned? According to my husband, there is no way to determine what portion of his work actually benefited each company as his job is to make a common program. That is simply his job. Though he is confident that the majority of the companies’ clients deal in things like clothes, shoes, home goods, groceries, etc There are separate departments within his company that are responsible for bringing other companies on board (whom they work for) and there are so many that he doesn’t even know or get to know by any chance. Is the income Halal?

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

Answer:

Your husband’s previous job was permissible because his job was to make the online educational portal and how they use this portal does not affect the permissible of your husband’s income. Therefore, it would be permissible for you to keep this job’s income.

Your husband’s second job involves making a general program that can possibly be used by alcohol companies. This job would also be permissible because his job description is to make a general program and it is not specific to alcohol companies.^[1]

If its a general program and not specific to alcohol companies than it is permissible.

Only Allah knows best

Written by Maulana Mohammed Kamran Abid

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham

^[1] Fatawa Mahmoodiyah, vol. 17, pg. 117, Idarah al-Farooq Karachi