Is Income from Questionable Jobs Entirely Unlawful or Only Partially?

Answered by Shaykh Anas al-Musa

Question

Some people work part-time in questionable jobs, such as tobacco factories or conventional banks. Is their entire income considered unlawful, or only the portion earned from such sources?

Answer

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds. Peace and blessings be upon the Messenger sent as a mercy to the worlds, our Master and Prophet, Muhammad, and his Family and Companions.

Any income earned through means that are explicitly prohibited by Sacred Law is considered unlawful (haram). A person earning such income will be held accountable for it on the Day of Judgment. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:

“The feet of the son of Adam will not move on the Day of Resurrection until he is asked about five things: his life and how he spent it, his youth and how he used it, his wealth—how he earned it and how he spent it—and how he acted upon what he knew.” [Tirmidhi]

However, the unlawful income does not render lawful earnings haram if the two are mixed. The permissible (halal) income remains lawful, while the prohibited income remains prohibited. Mixing the two does not taint the lawful portion, but it remains a duty to avoid earning unlawful income.

Guidance for Avoiding Unlawful Income

A believer should strive to avoid earning through unlawful or questionable means as much as possible, keeping in mind the words of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace):

“The lawful is clear, and the unlawful is clear. Between them are matters that are doubtful, which many people do not know. Whoever avoids the doubtful matters has protected his religion and his honor, and whoever indulges in doubtful matters falls into the unlawful, like a shepherd grazing his flock near a sanctuary, who is bound to stray into it. Verily, every king has a sanctuary, and the sanctuary of Allah is His prohibitions.” [Muslim]

May Allah bless the Prophet Muhammad and give him peace, and his Family and Companions.

[Shaykh] Anas al-Musa

Shaykh Anas al-Musa, born in Hama, Syria, in 1974, is an erudite scholar of notable repute. He graduated from the Engineering Institute in Damascus, where he specialized in General Construction, and Al-Azhar University, Faculty of Usul al-Din, where he specialized in Hadith.

He studied under prominent scholars in Damascus, including Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghouri and Shaykh Adib al-Kallas, among others. Shaykh Anas has memorized the Quran and is proficient in the ten Mutawatir recitations, having studied under Shaykh Bakri al-Tarabishi and Shaykh Mowfaq ‘Ayun. He also graduated from the Iraqi Hadith School.

He has taught numerous Islamic subjects at Shari‘a institutes in Syria and Turkey. Shaykh Anas has served as an Imam and preacher for over 15 years and is a teacher of the Quran in its various readings and narrations.

Currently, he works as a teacher at SeekersGuidance and is responsible for academic guidance there. He has completed his Master’s degree in Hadith and is now pursuing his Ph.D. in the same field. Shaykh Anas al-Musa is married and resides in Istanbul.