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His work sometimes includes preparing Riba-related documents
Fatwa No: 216751

Question

Assalamu Alaikum, I am 28 years old, working as an Accountant in a “Tire” Trading Company. Even though maximum of my job involving with halal based transaction the following of my rolls are making me doubt, whether they are complied with the Sharia of Islam. They are • Preparing L/C application to open Letter of Credit ( Islamic Bank & Riba based Bank) • If we cannot make the payment on due date for our shipments, then I will prepare “Promissory note” Promising that we will pay the particular payment in 2 or 3 installments. For that they will charge some amount as interest. • When the due date is coming I used to make cheque for that. Kindly note that, these transactions are happening occasionally not regularly. So my question is even occasionally if I am involving with these kinds of transactions, will make my earnings haram? If I want to transfer these jobs to my sub ordinates, they are also Muslims. What I have to I this case. Really I hate to involve with these kinds of transactions. Kindly advise me

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

There is nothing wrong with your stated work or what you earn from it if you keep away from preparing letters of credit and promissory notes that are based on Riba; otherwise, what you earn includes ill-gotten money in accordance with such prohibited work that helps in sin, acknowledging dealing with Riba and not denouncing it. You have to stop doing such works that entail cooperation in sin for Allaah The Almighty says (what means): {But do not cooperate in sin and aggression.}[Quran 5:2]

Also, Jaabir narrated that the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, cursed the one who consumes Riba, the one who pays it, the one who writes it down and the two who witness it, and he said, “They are all the same (in sin).” [Muslim] So, the curse includes the one who helps those dealing in Riba.

Finally, it is worth noting that it is not permissible for you to ask any of your assistants to do for you a work which is prohibited for you; rather, you have to apologize to your employers for not doing it only, and they can entrust doing it to whomever they want or leave it.

Allaah Knows best.

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