Fatwa ID: 01924

Answered by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Question:

Hope you are doing well, I am in Saudi Arabia and my query is right now I am working as an accountant in a private firm with less pay. Alhumdulillah i got an opportunity to work in one of the reputed bank here in the LC's department. Please advice am I allowed to take this position or should I let it go?

Answer:

It is permissible to work as an accountant for a bank.

Some may argue and say that wouldn’t one be writing and witnessing interest transactions which is unlawful in Islam.

Mufti Taqi Usmani (D.B) mentions that this Hadith refers to the scribe of the transaction i.e. a person who has written an agreement or prepared the document to evidence the transaction. It does not include a person who was not involved in the transaction itself in any way, but while preparing the accounts of a person, has come across reference to the Riba transaction and has recorded it as an event that has already happened without his involvement.

This is how the scholars have interpreted the Hadith: Al-Ubbi, the famous commentator of Sahih Muslim has explained the Hadith in the following manner: 'By the word 'writer of Riba' the Hadith intends the scribe of the document evidencing the transaction of Riba, and by the word 'witness' it means a person who attended the occasion to become a formal witness in support of the transaction. The Holy Prophet has held them all as equal in sin because the transaction took place only with their joint efforts.' It is evident from these references that it is the writing of the document of Riba which invokes the curse of Allah and not its subsequent recording in a statement of the facts that already happened. Therefore, the case of an Accountant of a firm or a company is different from the person who is directly responsible for the operation of interests. (www.albalagh.net & Taqrir Tirmizi p.39 v.1)

Only Allah Knows Best

Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham