Earning your rizq in a Halaal way !
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Loading ...In the Name of Allaah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra) reported, “Once, when I recited the verses of the Qur’aan, ‘O mankind! Eat of that which is lawful and good on the earth…’ [Al Qur’an - 002:168], in the presence of the Prophet (saw). Sa’d b. Abi Waqqas (ra) got up and said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah! Ask Allaah to make me one whose supplication is heard.’ At this the Prophet (saw) said, ‘O Sa’d, consume lawful things and your supplications will be heard, and by Him in Whose hands is the soul of Muhammad, when a man puts into his stomach a morsel of what is forbidden his prayers are not accepted for forty days, and a servant of Allaah whose body is nourished by usury or by what is forbidden becomes more deserving of the Hell fire.”
[Al-Hafiz b. Marduwiyah]
Every day Muslims go through stressful times trying to find a means of earning that is decent, professional, yet Islaamically lawful. In a period of perpetual economic recession, especially in the IT industry, such as the one we are currently witnessing, it is indeed challenging to find such a combination. While many do land good and Halaal jobs, others resort to any sort of work or industry, often out of desperation or hopes of ‘quick and big cash’, that may not necessarily be pleasing to Allaah (swt), the source of all our Rizq (wealth, sustenance and blessings). It is important that we work hard and honestly to earn money, instead of sitting idle at home or stealing other’s money.
Our Prophet Muhammad (saw) once reminded us, “It is better that a person should a take a rope and bring bundles of wood on his back to sell so that Allaah may preserve his honour, than that he should beg from people.”
[Bukhari & Muslim]
Consumerism’s Promise - You will never be ‘Content’:
- Audhubillaah !
However, while we strive hard to sustain ourselves with part time jobs, we need to also learn the ethics of ‘right’ and ‘pure’ earning and spending. How many a person strives with the sole purpose of earning bring to buy a new set of shoes, pair of trousers, or nail polish, every week! This is indeed the destructive outcome of our consumer teen culture.
Why is it crucial not to be corrupted by the greed of our materialistic society? The Prophet (saw) has told us, “Riches are sweet, and a source of blessing to those who acquire them (lawfully) by the way; but those who seek them out of greed are like people who eat but are never full (or satisfied).”
Therefore, this kind of greed to have ‘everything cool or every fad out there’ will never satisfy you, no matter how much of it you have. Ever wonder, why the music and film industry never loses money? The idea is to keep every young person in our society ‘hooked’ on the music, lyrics, and the ’stars’, that are strategically released to the public gradually, in stages, so that everyone keeps coming back for ‘more’.
Reality of ‘Entertainment’ and your Employment:
![Prophet Muhammad (saw): "From among my followers there will be some people who will consider illegal sexual intercourse, the wearing of silk, the drinking of alcoholic drinks, and the use of musical instruments [ma'aazif] as lawful." [Bukhari]](http://cityisoc.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/muzik.bmp "muzik")
- Prophet Muhammad (saw): “From among my followers there will be some people who will consider illegal sexual intercourse, the wearing of silk, the drinking of alcoholic drinks, and the use of musical instruments [ma'aazif] as lawful.” [Bukhari]
At the end of the day, a music or movie addict realizes how hollow and temporary this ‘entertainment’ is -something that destroys one’s soul by taking his or her mind and feelings to another realm of fantasy, only to realize that he or she is back to the same harsh realities of this life as soon as the tape is turned off!
The way we ‘kill our time’ in our leisure activities has a great influence on what type of job we would look for. If our priority in life is to serve our family, community and Islam, as well as improving our own relationship with Allaah (swt), then certainly we would look for a job or profession that accommodates all such commitments.
It helps to keep in mind the following portrayal of reality by our Prophet (saw): “Whoever sets this world as his goal, Allaah (swt) divides his affairs for him. He will place poverty between his eyes, and nothing will come to him from this world except what Allaah (swt) has written for him. Whoever sets the Hereafter as his goal, Allaah (swt) gathers his affairs for him, gives him richness of the heart and the world will come to him grudgingly and submissively.”
[Ibn Majah & Ibn Hibban]
“It is not poverty which I fear”…
Is it any wonder that the beloved Prophet Muhammad (saw) once commented, “It is not poverty which I fear for you, but that you might desire the world as others before you desired it, and it might destroy you, as it destroyed them.”
How do we suppress our desire or love for this world? We can certainly do so by spending less on ourselves and contributing as much as possible to those in need. Even a regular, nominal donation to your local Masjid, charity organization, youth group, Islaamic publication, or a poor person would greatly bless your limited income from employment as a student; it will also serve a profound reminder to cut the greed. Your regular contribution to others’ well-being will make you think, every time you are window shopping think, “Do I really need it? Or am I tempted to buy this shirt or game because my friend always talks about it? Five Reasons to avoid working for Riba (interest) based institutions:
1. Riba (interest) involves earning income without actually working to earn it;
2. Riba based companies involve taking advantage of the need or financial circumstances of the borrower of loan;
3. Taking Riba, or working for institutions that promote it, contribute to great injustice and devastation, as we have already witnessed, both at individual and global level, such as, bankruptcy, corporate scandals, economic recession, inability to repay loans, and staggering unemployment to name a few.
4. Daily toil has become a never-ending struggle to pay off interest on mortgages or business loans, and societies have become class-ridden structures in which huge wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few.
5. It has been said, “Perhaps all this is a manifestation of the war threatened by Allaah to those who deal in Riba…”. The least harm that a job involving Riba does is to destroy the blessing (Barakah) of the money, even if a person’s income is great, The Prophet (saw) himself once said, ‘Even if Riba is much, it will end up being a small amount.’
[Al-Hakim]
Employment Search - Tips on keeping it Halal:
Next time you go out searching for employment, please make sure to accept a job that is pure and Halaal, and that it’s work-environment allows you to maintain your Islaamic identity, including time and space for 5 daily prayers, allowance to observe Hijaab or Islaamically modest clothing, and a minimum level of modesty (Haya) among the co-workers.
As a general rule contemporary scholars have advised staying away from:
1. Any form of activity deriving money from pornography, prostitution and indecency (such as theatres, movie stores, clubs….etc.), as Allaah (swt) reminds us: “And come not near to the unlawful sexual intercourse. Verily, it is a Fâhishah [i.e. anything that transgresses its limits (a great sin)], and an evil way (that leads one to Hell unless Allâh forgives him).”
[Al Qur’an - Surah al-Israa' (017:032)]
2. Any form of drama or dance entertainment that is deliberate or suggestive.
3. Making statues of living creatures or photography that is sexually provocative, as the Prophet (saw) once said, “Allaah will punish anyone who makes figures (of living beings), until he breathes spirit into them, which he can never do.”
[Bukhari]
4. Manufacturing, trading, or serving intoxicants and drugs.
5. Working in a bar, off-licence, nightclub, dance hall, etc.
6. Being involved in armed forces fighting against other Muslims or killing innocent people.
7. Working in banks, stock exchanges, futures markets, insurance companies, and other usurious or Riba-based institutions.
How do I tell…
How do we tell what is Haraam (unlawful) or Halaal (lawful) type of work? A general principle is, “If anyone’s means of earning a living hurts another, or results in another’s loss or corruption, then it is Haraam. If it is fair and beneficial to others as well, then it is Halaal”.
Obviously, any business or job that involves dishonesty, bribery, gambling, cheating (do deceptive marketing strategies, ring a bell?), fraud, sexual degradation, or any other means of making a profit by exploiting others (such as lottery/raffle tickets), is forbidden to us Muslims. The best practice to ignore or leave any job opportunity that seems to fall in the grey area.
The Prophet Muhammad (saw) advised us, “Leave alone what puts you in doubt and turn toward what does not create any doubt.”
[Ahmad & Tirmidhi]
This is perhaps the most practical tool or tip to use in employment search.
The Road Ahead…
Before you give up all the hope of finding a good Halal job, after reading the list of warnings and restrictions, remember that there are literally innumerable sources of employment, including Muslim and non-Muslim owned businesses, that offer a decent, honourable, professional, and above all Halaal, environment. You may begin your job search with your local Muslim business directory!
You would never despair if you realized the truth of a statement taken from our Prophet’s (saw) collection of sayings, “If you give up something for the sake of Allaah, He will replace it with something (even) better.”
Let’s have the following words of Allaah (swt) etched in your heart,
“… And whosoever puts his trust in Allâh, then He will suffice him…”
[Al Qur'aan - Surah at-Talaaq (065:003)]
This Verse gives us enough of a boost to the confidence, faith, and optimism in the hearts of all the young Muslims striving to adopt a pure, Islaamic lifestyle and to benefit their society as responsible citizens.
The Prophet (saw) taught people to say: “(O) Allaah, make that which is permissible sufficient for me, so as to make me independent of that which is forbidden. And bestow upon me enough of Thy grace to make me independent of all besides Thee.”
[Tirmidhi]
[Courtesy of - http://www.lutonmuslims.co.uk/]
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