Home
Discover Islam
Quran Recitations
Lectures
Fatwa
Articles
Fiqh
E-Books
Women
Boys & Girls 
Enter Question
View By Subject
Fatwa Of The Week
Selected Fatwa
Fatwa CenterWoman badly needs job that involves serving pork
Question
I am 19 years old girl working in Dunkin donuts in New York where I have to make haram sandwich (bacon, ham) and customers are male,female both. I had just started college but dropped out after one month because it's not possible for me to carry study as I have to work full time. Because, 1. My family has big amount debt from my country from where we immigrated around 2 years ago 2. My father earn really less amount that doesn't cover here's livelihood for 5 members( I have 2 little brother(5years) and sister(12 years);Soon, inshallah my family going to separated from my uncles family, so whole responsibility going on me. I feel very very guilty earning haram money to help my family( I started rediscovering Islam, my family isn't sincere religious). What to do? I'm not getting any halal job, may be this situation can go on one year more. Second, I have plan to finish college inshallah so, I have to carry on any job besides to support my family. Planing to do halal job like pharmacist,in medical laboratories inshallah but don't know which jobs are halal in this free mixing country for women(without teaching as I'm not good in American English ). Third, my father is demanding, pressuring on me to make a house for them in the country where We are from after paying debt and I must have to do job big job to support my parents but my mind intension is not to use so much time for worldly reason; I want to be a sincere slave of Allah and serve Islam. I don't wanna to take too much pressure on my head, want to keep death in front of me.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
First of all, we say that it is permissible for a woman to work provided that such work abides by the requirements and conditions of the Sharee'ah (Islamic law), among which is that the field of work should be permissible, there should be no forbidden mixing between men and women, and other known conditions should be met, some of which we have already mentioned in Fatwa 82399, so please refer to it.
Hence, such a job which requires serving pork is not permissible except in cases of necessity as it involves helping others in sin. Allaah says (what means): {And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression. And fear Allaah; indeed, Allaah is severe in penalty.} [Quran 5:2]
Therefore, you are obliged to repent to Allaah and leave this job. There is nothing parallel to staying on the safe side when it comes to matters of faith; and a woman's faith is the most precious thing that she has. You are not religiously obliged to look for work to help your family or repay their debts; rather, your father is obliged to provide for you until you get married.
However, if your family is in need of you to help them financially, then you should endeavor to find a lawful job that does not lead to committing any violations of Sharee'ah. If you fear Allaah, Allaah will facilitate this for you. Allaah says (what means): {And whoever fears Allaah —He will make for him a way out. And will provide for him from where he does not expect.} [Quran 65:2-3]
A Bedouin narrated that the Prophet took him by the hand and taught him the following: "You do not leave something for the Sake of Allaah, except that Allaah brings you something better than it." [Ahmad]
We advise you to speak kindly with your family and try to avoid any problem that might arise by you leaving that forbidden job.
If we assumed that you were obliged to stay in that forbidden job due to a real necessity in order to get basic life needs, it would be permissible for you to continue in this job for the necessity. However, once you attained self-sufficiency, you would have to leave it. For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 89915.
Finally, we advise you to get married as Allaah may bless you with a pious husband who would sufficiently provide for your needs, and he may even help your family. It should also be noted that it is Islamically permissible for a woman to look for a righteous husband for marriage [and propose to him to marry her]. For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 82471.
Allaah Knows best.
Search Fatwa
Fatwa Subject
