I Work Two Software Jobs, but My Contract Prohibits a Second Job. I Fulfill All My Duties Without Conflict—Is My Income Halal?

Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch

Question

I work two software jobs, but my contract prohibits a second job. I fulfill all my duties without conflict—Is my income halal?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

Allah Most High says, “O believers! Do not devour one another’s wealth illegally, but rather trade by mutual consent. And do not kill ˹each other or˺ yourselves. Surely Allah is ever Merciful to you.” [Quran, 4:29]

As an employee of a company, you are essentially an agent, and you are legally and morally obliged to act in the best interest of that company as long as that does not entail disobedience to Allah Most High. [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

Working for another company in the same field, especially a direct competitor of the first employer, directly contravenes these rulings. This applies even if the first employer did not expressly stipulate not working for another employer in the contract. [Ibid.]

Since this was explicitly communicated and agreed upon by you in your employment contract, it is not permissible for you to work for the other employer without express permission from your first employer. That said, the income from the second job is therefore not permissible for you to take. [Ibid.]

Hope this helps
Allah knows best
[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a teacher of Arabic, Islamic law, and spirituality. After accepting Islam in 2008, he went on to study at Darul Uloom Seminary in New York and completed his studies at Darul Mustafa in Tarim, Yemen.

There, he completed the memorization of the Quran and his study of Islamic Sciences. Throughout his years of study, he was blessed to learn from many great scholars: Habib Umar bin Hafiz, Habib Kazhim al-Saqqaf, Shaykh ‘Umar bin Husayn al-Khatib, and others.

Upon returning, he joined the SeekersGuidance faculty in the summer of 2019.