Thursday 18 Ramadan 1445 - 28 March 2024
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He works in a company in which there is a restaurant that sells alcohol and pork

Question

My husband works in a western country in a company that sells women’s and men’s clothing, as well as children’s clothing, household needs and gold, i.e., everything. 
My question: in this company there is a section for food, i.e., a restaurant in which they sell pork and alcohol, but my husband works in the section that sells clocks and gold. Is his salary considered halaal or haraam? I hope that you can explain in detail.

Answer

Praise be to Allah.

Firstly: 

In many answers on this site we have warned against settling in kaafir countries, because that has a clear negative impact on a man’s religious commitment. He is exposed to temptations and specious arguments which may cause him to be tempted away from his religion. We ask Allaah to keep us all safe and sound. Seeing evil actions and not being able to denounce them or change them usually leads to a person not regarding them as abhorrent in his heart. 

Hence it is not permissible for a Muslim to settle in a kaafir country if he fears for his religious commitment. 

See questions no. 38284 and 13363 

Secondly: 

If your husband’s work in the section that sells clocks and gold has no connection to the restaurant and the haraam things that are sold there, then his salary is halaal, because it is given in return for permissible work, and he has no share of the sin of the company for the haraam things that it sells. 

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his companions dealt with the Jews in permissible transactions, even though the Jews used to engage in other transactions that were haraam, such as riba (usury), bribes and consuming people’s wealth unlawfully. Al-Tabaraani narrated that Ka’b ibn ‘Ujrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and I saw him changed in appearance. I said: “May my father be sacrificed for you, why do I see you changed in appearance?” He said: “I have not eaten anything for three days.” I went and I saw a Jew watering a camel of his. I helped him with it and for every bucket of water I drew for him he gave me one date. I gathered some dates and brought them to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb wa’l-Tarheeb, no. 3271.
See also question no. 20732

And Allaah knows best.

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Source: Islam Q&A