Fatwa

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Working as a waiter
Fatwa No: 87931

Question

Am a Muslim male working for a Muslim in a big restaurants in usa!
This guy deals in pork meat i never eat it. But I am working as a waiter. So I never touchit. Is my job halal?

Answer

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.

You have to know, dear brother, that Allah, the Most-High says: " Help you one another in Al­Birr and At­Taqwa (virtue, righteousness and piety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression. And fear Allâh. Verily, Allâh is Severe in punishment."(Al-Ma'idah 5:2)

This verse means that it is forbidden for a Muslim to help anybody else in disobeying Allah, the Exalted. There is no doubt that if you serve pork to others to eat, you have indeed helped them in disobeying Allah, the Most-High.

Therefore, if you do not want to eat (money obtained from) Haram, then you have to avoid working in this restaurant except if you are in dire necessity, then you can stay working in this restaurant until you find another work or until the necessity is lifted.

You have to know that the money you obtained from this work is Haram, and it is not permissible to possess it or save it, because the wage obtained from Haram is Haram. (Forbidden)

Therefore, you have to get rid of what remains of this money in your possession by spending it on general interest of Muslims like schools and the like. However, the money that you have already consumed and spent, earned from your work, you do not have to give out its equivalent, but if you do so by devoutness and piety, then that is better.

Finally, we remind you about the saying of Allah: "And whosoever fears Allâh and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty)." (At-Talaq 65:2)

Allah also says: "and whosoever fears Allâh and keeps his duty to Him, He will make his matter easy for him." (At-Talaq 65:4)

Allah further says: "and whosoever fears Allâh and keeps his duty to Him, He will remit his sins from him, and will enlarge his reward." (At-Talaq 65:5)

 Allah knows best.

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