Jurisprudence

Q1081: Is it permissible to buy boars (wild pigs), which have been culled to safeguard plantation and grazing lands, with a view to processing their meat for export to non-Islamic countries?
A: It is not permissible to buy or sell pork for human consumption, even for non-Muslims. However, should there be other rational, considerable and ḥalāl uses for the meat, such as animal feed, or using its fat in the manufacture of soap, and the like, there is no objection to sell or buy it.

Q1082: Is it permissible to work in nightclubs, food processing factories, where pork is usually processed, or any other corrupt centers? What is the ruling on money earned from such work?
A: It is not permissible to be involved in any ḥarām act, such as dabbling in selling pork, intoxicants, setting up and managing nightclubs and other places where lewd behavior, gambling, and consumption of alcohol are tolerated. Furthermore, any income earned in such a way is ḥarām and one is not allowed to own the wages taken for it.

Q1083: Is it permissible to sell, or give as a gift, alcoholic drinks, pork, or other foodstuffs whose consumption is ḥarām to those who consider it ḥalāl?
A: It is not permissible to sell or give as a gift that which is not ḥalāl to consume even to those who consider consuming them ḥalāl if it is intended for consumption or the vendor is sure that it is going to be eaten or drunk.

Q1084: What is the ruling in the matter of income made from selling some ḥarām foodstuffs, among other goods, in a cooperative, especially when it is destined to be distributed among the shareholders?
A: It is ḥarām to buy and sell the foodstuffs that are ḥarām for human consumption. If done, the sale is void and the proceeds made in the process are ḥarām. Accordingly, it is not permissible to distribute the proceeds among shareholders. If the property of the cooperative is tainted with this illicit money, the rulings of “property mixed with ḥarām” are applicable whose categories are mentioned in the book Practical Law of Islam.

Q1085: Muslims may do business as hoteliers in non-Muslim countries. Given the norms of social behavior in those countries, the owner has to serve alcoholic drinks and other food, some of which are ḥarām, to the customers. Otherwise, they will not go to his hotel. It is to be noted, however, that the businessman intends to dispose of all profit made on the ḥarām food and drink by giving it to the authorized religious authority. Is it permissible for him to do so?
A: There is no problem in doing business as an hotelier or a restaurateur in non-Muslim countries. However, it is impermissible to sell ḥarām food and drink, even if the customer does not see problem in consuming them; nor is it permissible to receive the money for selling them, even if the seller intends to hand over the profit made to the authorized religious authority.

Q1086: Are inedible water animals, which are caught and taken out alive, considered as mītah and it is ḥarām to sell and buy? Is it permissible to trade in them for purposes other than human consumption such as bird and animal feed or manufacturing?
A: If they are among the fish species and were taken out from the water alive, they are not regarded as mītah. At any rate, it is not permissible to sell or buy any of the types, which are not sanctioned for human consumption, even if the buyer is among those who consider it ḥalāl to eat. However, if they serve some rational, ḥalāl, and beneficial purposes other than food, like in medicine, manufacturing, and feeding birds/animals, there is no problem in doing business in them for the said purposes.

Q1087: If the cargo contains meat of not ritually slaughtered animals, Is it permissible to transport it? And is there any difference whether the receiver considers it ḥarām or not?
A: It is not permissible to transport non-ḥalāl meat if it is used for human consumption, irrespective of whether the potential buyer sees it fit to consume or otherwise.

Q1088: Is it permissible to sell blood to whoever can make use of it?
A: There is no objection to sell blood for a rational and shar‘ī purpose.

Q1089: Is a Muslim allowed to sell ḥarām food, such as pork, meat of not ritually slaughtered animals, or intoxicants to non-Muslims in non-Muslim countries? What is the ruling in the following cases?
1. The person dealing in these items is not the owner himself and he does not make any profit but his work is just selling these foodstuffs alongside other ḥalāl ones.
2. The person concerned jointly owns the business with a non-Muslim partner, in such a way that the Muslim owns the ḥalāl segment and the non-Muslim owns the non-ḥalāl segment and each one makes profit from his own goods separately.
3. The person works as a paid worker in the place where these mixed foods are being sold, irrespective of whether the owner is Muslim or non-Muslim.
4. The person either works for, or is a partner in, the business where ḥarām foods and alcoholic drinks are being sold, yet he is not involved directly in the purchase or sale of these foods and they do not belong to him. However, he has a hand in preparing and selling foods. What is the ruling on the activity of such a person, noting that the sold alcoholic drinks are not consumed in the premises?
A: According to Islamic law, it is ḥarām to involve in the offering and sale of intoxicant alcoholic drinks and ḥarām foodstuffs; working in places where these items of food and drink are sold; taking part in manufacturing, selling and buying them, and taking instructions from the others with regard to dealing in them whether the person concerned is a paid worker, an owner, or a partner; whether these items are offered and sold separately or alongside other ḥalāl ones; and whether the involvement is for profit or as paid/unpaid work. In this regard it also does not make any difference whether the owner or partner is a Muslim or a non-Muslim; and whether offering/sale of the items is intended for Muslims or non-Muslims. Generally speaking, it is obligatory upon every Muslim to categorically avoid the manufacture, purchase or sale of ḥarām foodstuffs intended for human consumption.
It is also incumbent on Muslims to avoid the manufacture, purchase and sale of intoxicants and earnings out of such ventures.

Q1090: Is it permissible to earn income through repairing trucks that carry alcoholic beverages?
A: If the trucks will be used to carry alcoholic beverages, it is not permissible to get involved in repairing them.

Q1091: There is a company with a network of branches selling goods to the public; some items are ḥarām such as imported non-ḥalāl meat. This necessarily means that part of the company’s income is illicit.
Is it permissible to buy goods in the stores of such a company where both ḥalāl and ḥarām products are sold? Should one assume that it is permissible, does receiving the change require the permission of the authorized religious authority, for it is considered property of anonymous owner. If, however, one assumes that permission is required, do you permit those persons who buy their necessary things to receive the change?
A: General knowledge of the existence of illicit assets among that of a company should not cast a doubt on the validity of shopping in that company’s stores unless all the company’s assets could be dealt with by the mukallaf. Consequently, there is no problem, for all people to buy their necessary things from such a store, nor is it a problem to receive the change as long as the whole company’s assets could not be dealt with by the buyer himself. The case is also such if one does not know for sure that the very purchased item involves ḥarām things. Furthermore, getting permission from the authorized religious authority for the usage of such goods and the change received from the store is not necessary.

Q1092: Is it permissible to work in cremating non-Muslim dead bodies and get paid for the work?
A: Cremating the dead body of non-Muslims is not ḥarām. So, there is no objection to either embarking on such work or getting paid for it.

Q1093: Is it permissible for a person, who can earn a living with his own effort, to request others for help and to live off them?
A: It is not good for him to do so.

Q1094: Is it permissible for women to earn a living of trading in jewelry in a jewelry market?
A: There is no problem in that as long as shar‘ī limits are observed.

Q1095: What is the ruling on working in decorating buildings, especially when the place destined for such a make over could be used for committing ḥarām acts such as worshipping idols? And is it permissible to build a hall, which may eventually be used for dancing and the like?
A: In itself working in decoration is no problem unless the decorated places will be used for committing ḥarām acts. However, it is not permissible according to Islam to decorate a room specified for worshipping idols e.g. to set its furniture and to determine the place of idols. The same ruling is applicable to construction of a hall for ḥarām uses, but the mere likelihood is not objectionable.

Q1096: Is it permissible to build a complex containing a prison and a police station for the use of a tyrannical government? And is it permissible to work in such a project?
A: There is no objection to construct such a complex provided that it is not intended for a court house with unjust practices or for imprisonment of innocent people and the constructor does not maintain that the complex is exposed to such uses. In this case, the constructor can receive the wages for his work.

Q1097: My work involves presenting a show of bull fights for those interested in watching it for a fee that they pay as a gift. Is the work in itself permissible?
A: This work is objectionable by the sharī‘ah. However receiving presents from the viewers does no harm, should they do it willingly.

Q1098: Some people sell military uniforms. Is it permissible to buy one from them and use it?
A: Should there be a possibility that they acquired these uniforms legally, or that they are authorized to sell them, there is no problem in buying from them and making use of them.

Q1099: What is the ruling on the manufacture, sale, purchase, and use of fireworks, and explosive materials irrespective of whether or not they are of the type that may cause annoyance to people?
A: It is not permissible if they pose harm and annoyance to others or indulging in them is regarded as a kind of wastefulness and squandering.

Q1100: What is the ruling on the work of the policeman, the traffic cop, and the employees of departments of customs and tax in the Islamic Republic of Iran? Are they the ones referred to in some ḥadiths that no supplication would be answered if it came from a sergeant or a tax collector?
A: In itself, there is no objection to their work provided that it is carried out in compliance with the laws. However, it seems that "the sergeant and tax collector" mentioned in some ḥadiths are those serving tyrannical governments.

Q1101: Some women work in beauty shops to provide an income for their families. Does this not lead to immorality, which, in turn, is bound to undermine chastity of the Islamic society?
A: There is no objection to working in beautifying women as such, nor is it objectionable to get paid for it provided that wearing of the makeup is not intended for showing it to non-maḥram men.

Q1102: Is it permissible for intermediaries/facilitators of work between the builders and the owners to get paid for their services?
A: There is no problem in getting paid for ḥalāl work.

Q1103: Is commission [such as money paid to an estate agent] ḥalāl?
A: There is no problem in that provided that he gets paid for ḥalāl work which is done at somebody’s request.