Fatwa n° 401

Category: Fatwas about financial transactions – Hiring

The ruling concerning working in a workshop whose all tools are from usury-based loans

Question:
Is it permissible for me to work in a workshop whose owner bought the necessary tools by way of a loan from a usury bank? May Allah reward you our Sheikh! 

Answer:
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Peace and blessing be upon whom Allah sent as a mercy to the Worlds, upon his Family, his Companions and his Brothers until the Day of Resurrection:

If the workshop owner has acquired those tools by means of usury-based loans while he knows that, and does not feel resented over doing that and without condemning the meanness of his practice, then one should avoid working for him forasmuch as he (the workshop owner) does neither mind committing the forbidden nor feel concerned over doing wrong deeds. Moreover, one should keep away from anyone who behave in such a way, according to his saying صلَّى الله عليه وآله وسلَّم:  “A true emigrant is he who abandons what Allah  عزّ وجلّ has forbidden” ⁽¹⁾, in another narration: “A true emigrant is he who abandons the wrong deeds” ⁽²⁾, and what is meant by the “wrong deeds”: is all that Allah عزّ وجلّ has forbidden and people who commit evil deeds. Allahعزّ وجلّ said:

﴿وَالرُّجْزَ فَاهْجُرْ﴾ [المدّثّر: 5.[

The meaning of the verse:

﴾ And keep away from Ar-Rujz (the idols)! ﴿[Al-Muddaththir: 5].

Nevertheless, if he acquired those tools while he does not know the religious ruling and has regretted his deed after knowing the ruling and wished if he would not engage in such usury-based work; then this worker, if he is in need of such a job and could not find another job, it is -in such a case- permissible for him to work (i.e., for the workshop owner) but with the condemnation of his deed even with the weakest faith, according to his saying صلَّى الله عليه وآله وسلَّم: “If a wrong deed is committed on the earth, then the one who witnessed and hated it (in another version: condemned it) is like who has not witnessed it. Conversely, the one who did not witness that wrong deed but just approved of it, is like who has witnessed it” ⁽³⁾.

This meaning also includes -as regards the permissibility for the worker’s work in exigency of need- working for the one who has known the religious ruling concerning the prohibition and has after that regretted his deed; but, he could not find a way to invalidate the usury-based contract by returning to the beginning, before the fulfilling of the contract by the two contracting parties, as long as the civil justice system [of the country] does not admit such a procedure.

We ask Allah عزّ وجلّ to guide you and us to what He loves and what pleases him, to put our steps on the straight path and strengthen our feet on the truth; He is the Guardian over that and the Most Powerful.

The perfect knowledge belongs to Allah عزَّ وجلَّ; and our last prayer is all the praises and thanks are to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and prayers of Allah are to Muhammad and his Family, Companions and Brothers until the Day of Resurrection.  

Algiers on: Rabî‘ Al-Awwal 8^th, 1427 H
Corresponding to April the 6^th, 2006 G. 

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