Fatwa ID: 08298

Written by Alima Aisha Qureshi

Question:

I have a question. So, I’m working as waiter in a restaurant part time. Now the restaurant doesn’t sell alcohol, but the customers are allowed to bring their own drinks whether that be soft drinks or alcohol. I don’t serve it but do ask what glasses they would like. I do have to touch it at the end when cleaning the tables to get rid of them and collect the glasses. Does this make my income haram or am I sinful? What are the rulings? Thanks

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

Answer:

Jazakillah khair for your question, the question you’re asking concerns the involvement in a job where alcohol is present, even though you do not directly serve it. Since Islam strictly prohibits alcohol, it is important to understand the ruling in Hanafi Fiqh regarding indirect participation or contact with alcohol. In your case, while you’re not involved in serving alcohol, you are still touching glasses that may have been used for alcohol consumption.

Alcohol is strictly prohibited (haram). The evidence from the Qur’an and Hadith is clear about its prohibition.

In your case, the situation is that customers bring their own alcohol, and your role as a waiter is to ask them what type of glasses they would like and to collect the glasses after use. You do not directly serve or sell alcohol, but you do handle items that may have been used for alcohol consumption.

This means that while your role is not directly serving the alcohol, by being involved with the glasses used for alcohol, there is an indirect connection to a haram activity.

While cleaning the glasses that were used for alcohol is not haram, it is undesirable and should be avoided. If the glasses are not purified (i.e., they have not been cleansed from any traces of alcohol), handling them could be seen as indirectly participating in an impermissible activity.

Based on Hanafi Fiqh, your involvement in handling glasses used for alcohol, even if indirectly, does create a connection with something haram. While your income is not automatically declared haram, it is important to consider that working in such an environment is discouraged due to the potential association with impermissible activities.

Only Allah knows best

Written by Alima Aisha Qureshi

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham

(ولا يجوز بيعها) لحديث مسلم «إن الذي حرم شربها حرم بيعها» (ويحد شاربها وإن لم يسكر منها و) يحد (شارب غيرها إن سكر

Radd al Muhtar maktaba shamila vol 6 pg 449

عن أنس بن مالك قال: ” لعن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم في الخمر عشرة: عاصرها، ومعتصرها، وشاربها، وحاملها، والمحمولة إليه، وساقيها، وبائعها، وآكل ثمنها، والمشتري لها، والمشتراة له “: هذا حديث غريب من حديث أنس وقد روي نحو هذا عن ابن عباس، وابن مسعود، وابن عمر، عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم

Jami al tirmidhi vol 1 hadith 1299