Can I Work in a Supermarket That Sells Prohibited Products?

Answered By Shaykh Dr. Muhammad Abu Bakr Badhib

Question

Can I work in a supermarket that sells prohibited products?

Answer

In the name of Allah, all praise be to Allah, and prayers and peace be upon our master Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, and upon his Family, Companions, and those who follow him.

Earning through Working is a Noble Act

The default of any work is permissibility. This is understood from the general meaning of the aya, “Tell (them, O Prophet,) Do as you will.” [Quran, 9:105] Work elevates to being recommended or even obligatory, depending on the varying circumstances of people in earning, fulfilling needs, and alleviating poverty. Work is honorable; no one should prevent another from it.

Islamic Restrictions for Work

However, Sacred Law restricts work with conditions, the most important of which is that the job should not be associated with what Allah has forbidden, such as selling prohibited items like alcohol, pork, etc., or dubious transactions like working in interest-based banks and financial institutions. The Prophet Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “Indeed, Allah, when He prohibits something, also prohibits its value.” (Abu Dawud) In Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, it is narrated from Abu Hurayra that the Prophet Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “May Allah destroy the Jews; when fats were forbidden to them, they sold it and consumed its price.”

Any Work Related to Alcohol is Cursed

Tirmidhi reported from Anas bin Malik that the Prophet Allah bless him and give him peace) cursed ten people in relation to alcohol: the one who squeezes (the grapes etc.), the one for whom it is squeezed, the one who drinks it, the carrier, the one to whom it is carried, the one who serves it, the seller, the consumer of its value, the buyer, and the one for whom it was bought. [Tirmidhi] Imam Ibn Raslan al-Shafi‘i stated in his commentary on Sunan Abu Dawud, “The seller includes anyone who displays it for sale, even if they do not conduct the actual sale transaction.”

From these noble hadith, it becomes clear that any job prohibited by Islam or involving forbidden transactions must be avoided by a Muslim, to ensure their livelihood is pure and free from dubious dealings, lest they fall into sin and doubt in their sustenance and earnings, God forbid.

Abandoning the Sin Completely in Repentance

Some Muslims might find themselves involved in such matters, and it might be difficult for them to withdraw due to the loss of their source of income. However, a strong believer who repents from their sin should not worry about what they have lost or foregone, as one of the conditions of repentance is abstaining from the sin. Sufyan al-Thawri (Allah have mercy on him) said: “It has reached me that whoever abandons something for the sake of the worldly life, Allah will replace it with something better.” [Bayhaqi, Shu’ab al-Iman]

We ask Allah Almighty to provide us from His vast bounty, and to protect us from engaging in any work involving the forbidden or doubtful, and to guide Muslims to deeds that please Him. All praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.

[Shaykh] Dr. Muhammad Abu Bakr Badhib

Shaykh Dr Muhammad Abu Bakr Badhib is a prominent Islamic scholar from Yemen. He was born in Shibam, Hadhramaut, in 1976. He received his degree in Shari‘a from Al-Ahqaf University, a master’s degree from the Islamic University of Beirut, and a PhD in Usul al-Din from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).

He studied under great scholars such as Shaykh al-Habib Ahmad Mashhur al-Haddad, Shaykh Fadl Ba‘ fadl, Habib Salim al-Shatiri, Habib Ali Mashhur bin Hafeez, and others. He has served as the Director of Publications at Dar al-Fiqh, the former Deputy Director of Cultural Relations at Al-Ahqaf University, a former Assistant for Employee Affairs at Atiyah Iron Company, a researcher at the Sunna Center affiliated with the Dallah al-Baraka Foundation, and a researcher at Al-Furqan Foundation’s Makka al-Mukarrama and Madina al-Munawwara Encyclopedia branch.

Currently, he is a researcher at Al-Furqan Foundation’s Makka al-Mukarrama and Madina al-Munawwara Encyclopedia branch, teaches traditionally through the Ijaza system at Dar al-Fuqaha in Turkey, supervises the Arabic department at Nur al-Huda International Institute (SeekersGuidance), and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Manuscript House in Istanbul.

His works include “The Efforts of Hadhramaut Jurists in Serving the Shafi‘i School,” “Contributions of Hadhramaut Scholars in Spreading Islam and its Sciences in India,” and “Hada’iq al-Na‘im in Shafi‘i Fiqh.” He has also verified several books in Fiqh, history, the art of biographies, and Asanid (chains of narration).