Is It Permissible to Work as a Civil Engineer in the Armed Forces?

Answered by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Question

I am considering a career as a civil engineering officer in my country’s armed forces. According to the official role description, the position involves civil engineering and infrastructure rather than weapons or weapon systems. Duties include roads, airfields, bridges, sewerage systems, field defenses and obstacles, terrain assessment advice, and humanitarian missions. I intend to work as a civil engineer, not to design, manufacture, or operate weapons. I recognize, though, that the infrastructure I help build or maintain may indirectly support military operations. Is this permissible in the Hanafi school?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful.

All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all beings, and may peace and blessings be upon our master Muhammad.

I pray you are well.

Yes, based on the details you have given, it would be permissible for you to work in this role. The job is, in and of itself, permissible, and there is no assisting in sin directly or even indirectly. [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

Make a good intention to serve the people of your country and to be a means of promoting well-being and safety in your country, and intend to please Allah. You will see much good.

Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Related Answers

• Is It Permissible To Work in a Defense Company?  The two conditions that make such work lawful, and that make seeking other employment recommended.
• Can a Muslim in the West Join the Army?  The broader question of military service for Muslims in Western countries, and the considerations that bear on it.
• Can a Muslim Serve in an Army That May Fight Muslims? A related concern for anyone entering national service, and how the scholars weigh it.

Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat began studying Arabic Grammar and Morphology whilst studying for a degree in English and History. After graduating, He traveled to Damascus and studied Arabic, Hanafi Fiqh, Usul al-Fiqh, Theology, and Logic with Shaykh Adnan Darwish, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahman Arjan al-Binsawi, Shaykh Husayn Darwish, Shaykh Muhammad Darwish, the late Shaykh Rashad Shams, and others. He then moved to Amman to continue his studies in those fields, as well as in Tafsir, Quranic Sciences, Hadith Methodology and Commentary, Prophetic Biography, Prophetic Perfections and Traits, Rhetoric, Arabic Literature, and Tajwid. His teachers include Shaykh Ali Hani, Dr. Hamza al-Bakri, Dr Salah Abu al-Hajj, Dr Mansur Abu Zina, Shaykh Ahmad Hasanat, Shaykh Ahmad Jammal, and others.