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Fatwa CenterWorking in a store in which unlawful money is invested
Question
Salam Alaykum... I've been looking for a job for the last 2 years, in vain I couldn't find one. I heard from my family that my dads uncle is opening a halal store which he offered me a job in it. But the problem is that the money they invested in it is haram... I want to get married next year and there's no job around the corner I'm getting depressed every day. Since I can't find any job and I never finished high school. I wanted to know if I took the job will my earning be also haram?
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 
is His slave and Messenger.
First of all, it should be noted that in principle a Muslim should be treated as free of guilt, and in principle the money of a Muslim is lawful and that it is permissible to deal with him by selling to him and buying from him. So, if you do not know that the money that is invested in that store is unlawful money, then in principle it [money] is lawful because prohibition should not be built only upon probability. Moreover, you are not obliged to investigate about the source of this money; indeed the Prophet used to deal with the Jews who were consuming unlawful money and Riba (interest and/or usury).
Contrarily, if it is confirmed that the totality of that money is unlawful money, then it is not permissible for you to work in the above-mentioned store because it is forbidden to deal with a person who gained unlawful money in his unlawful money which is not mixed with lawful money, whether this dealing is buying or selling, accepting a gift [from him] or getting a loan [from him]. It is only a case of necessity that can be excluded from this, in a way that you may face death and you cannot find a way to feed yourself except by committing what is forbidden, or that you are in difficulties and it is only by doing this work that you may solve it, like not finding clothes to wear, or a dwelling place to reside in even by renting. Nonetheless, if the money is a mixture of lawful and unlawful money, then it is permissible to work in the above-mentioned store even though it is more appropriate not to work there.
Finally, we ask Allaah to facilitate your affairs and bless you with His abundant Favors.
Allaah Knows best.
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