Assisting customers to buy travel insurances
In the name of Allah, the most Beneficent, the most Merciful.
Answer
With regards to your question, if the work involves you in dealing directly with interest based transactions then the work will be considered unlawful. If it just involves in giving advice or helping a customer taking up an insurance policy, then the job would still be considered unlawful as one is assisting someone in sin.
Allah (SWA) in the Holy Quran has said:
“Do not assist in each other in sin and transgression.” (Surah Maaidah v.2)
It will be necessary for you to look for a halal job and when you find it, it will be necessary for you to leave that job. Until then you can work there and seek Istighfaar and repentance from Allah. (Jadeed Muamalat Ke Sharee Ahkaam p.176 v.1)
It is not permissible for a Muslim to lie and cheat to gain business and profit. Saaiduna Abdullah Ibn Masood Radiallahu Anhu narrates that the Prophet of Allah Sallallahu Alahi Wasalam said; “Truthfulness is righteousness and righteousness leads to paradise. A person will continue to tell the truth until he is written with Allah as one who tells the truth. Lying is evil’s doing and evil doing leads to hell. A person will keep on telling lies until he is written a liar.” (Sahih Bukhari)
It was narrated that Samurah ibn Jundub Radiallahu Anhu said: “The Prophet of Allah Sallallahu Alahi Wasalam often used to say to his companions, ‘Has anyone among you seen a dream?’ Then whoever Allah willed would tell of his dream. One day he said to us, ‘Two (angels) came to me last night and woke me up, then they said to me, ‘Let’s go!’… So we set out and came to a man who was lying flat on his back and another man standing over his head with an iron hook, and behold, he would put the hook in one side of the man’s mouth and tear off that side of his face to the back (of the neck) and similarly tear his nose from front to back and his eye from front to back. Then he turned to the other side of the man’s face and did just as he had done with the other side. Hardly had he completed this side when the first side was restored to its normal state. Then he went back and did that all over again. I said to my two companions, ‘Subhaan Allah! Who are these two persons?’ They said to me, ‘Move on, move on!’ (Then he said, describing how the two angels explained the things that he had seen): ‘As for the man you came across, the sides of whose mouth, nostrils and eyes were being torn off from front to back, he is the symbol of the man who goes out of his house in the morning and tells so many lies that it spreads all over the world.’” (Sahih Bukhari)
The Prophet of Allah Sallallahu Alahi Wasalam has said; “Whoever bears arms against us is not one of us and whoever cheats us is not one of us.” (Sahih Muslim p.70 v.1)
Once the Prophet of Allah Sallallahu Alahi Wasalam passed by a pile of food in the market. He put his hand inside it and felt dampness although the surface was dry. He Sallallahu Alahi Wasalam said; “O owner of the food, what is this?” The Man side; “It was damaged by rain, O Prophet of Allah.” He said; “Why didn’t you put the rain damaged food on top so that people could see it! Whoever cheats us is not one of us.” (Sahih Muslim p.70 v.1)
Finally, with regards to talking to women scholars have said that looking at a woman in certain situations will be permissible. For example, if you are seeking a woman for marriage, if you work in such a job where you need to look and interact with a woman, looking will be permissible as long as you don’t look with desire. Similarly, if you are a teacher, looking at female students is permitted as long as you don’t look more than necessary or with desire.” (See Sunan Tirimzi p.207 v.1)
Only Allah Knows Best
Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham.
