Fatwa ID: 06796

Answered by: Maulana Abdul Malik

Question:

I have been offered a job as a compliance officer for the IT department of a company that provides a platform with multiple uses including betting and gambling, I do not have any direct interaction with these applications only the IT of the platform, would that be Halal or Haram

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

Answer:

Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah’s Messenger (May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) as saying, “Seeking to earn a lawful livelihood is an obligatory duty in addition to the duties which are obligatory.” (Mishkat al Masabih, hadith # 2781)[1]

Seeking a lawful livelihood is mandatory, as a result, care should be taken to ensure one’s earnings are obtained from a lawful (halal) source.

Working as a compliance officer in an IT department will be permissible on the condition one is not involved in anything prohibited (haraam). However, since the company is a betting and gambling company the income earned from such company would be unlawful.

Allah states in the holy Quran; “O believers! Intoxicants, gambling, idols, and drawing lots for decisions, are all evil of Satan’s handiwork. So shun them so you may be successful”. (Quran, chapter 5, verse 90)[2]

Abu Huraira narrated: The Messenger of Allah said, “O people, Allah is purely good, and He only accepts what is purely good”. (Sahih al Muslim, hadith # 1015)[3]

Therefore, even though one will not be directly involved with the betting and gambling software, the income earned from the work would be unlawful. Hence, it would be impermissible to work in the IT department of a betting and gambling company.

[1] عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «طَلَبُ كَسْبِ الْحَلَالِ فَرِيضَةٌ بَعْدَ الْفَرِيضَةِ» .

[2] يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِنَّمَا ٱلْخَمْرُ وَٱلْمَيْسِرُ وَٱلْأَنصَابُ وَٱلْأَزْلَـٰمُ رِجْسٌۭ مِّنْ عَمَلِ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ فَٱجْتَنِبُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

[3] عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ طَيِّبٌ لَا يَقْبَلُ إِلَّا طَيِّبًا وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ أَمَرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ بِمَا أَمَرَ بِهِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ فَقَالَ يَا أَيُّهَا الرُّسُلُ كُلُوا مِنْ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَاعْمَلُوا صَالِحًا إِنِّي بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ عَلِيمٌ

Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.

Written by Maulana Abdul Malik

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham