Is It Halal to Earn Money From Online Surveys?

Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick

Question

Is earning money by answering surveys from various companies and websites halal?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.

May Allah alleviate our difficulties and guide us to what pleases Him. Amin.

Earning money by answering surveys is generally permissible, provided the work and the source of income are lawful. If the surveys do not involve deception, promoting harmful or prohibited products, or supporting unethical practices, then participating in them and receiving payment is permissible.

Allah (Most High) says,

“O you who have believed, do not consume one another’s wealth unjustly but only (in lawful) business by mutual consent.” [Quran, 4:29]

If the survey company is honest and the payment is agreed upon fairly, this constitutes a lawful exchange of effort for compensation. However, caution must be exercised to avoid surveys that promote falsehood, indecency, gambling, or any activities contrary to Sacred Law.

I pray this is of benefit and that Allah guides us all.
[Shaykh] Irshaad Sedick
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Irshaad Sedick was raised in South Africa in a traditional Muslim family. He graduated from Dar al-Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah in Strand, Western Cape, under the guidance of the late world-renowned scholar Shaykh Taha Karaan (Allah have mercy on him), where he taught.

Shaykh Irshaad received Ijaza from many luminaries of the Islamic world, including Shaykh Taha Karaan, Shaykh Muhammad Awama, Shaykh Muhammad Hasan Hitu, and Mawlana Abdul Hafeez Makki, among others.

He is the author of the text “The Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal: A Hujjah or not?” He has been the Director of the Discover Islam Centre, and for six years, he has been the Khatib of Masjid Ar-Rashideen, Mowbray, Cape Town.

Shaykh Irshaad has fifteen years of teaching experience at some of the leading Islamic institutes in Cape Town. He is currently building an Islamic podcast, education, and media platform called ‘Isnad Academy’ and has completed his Master’s degree in the study of Islam at the University of Johannesburg. He has a keen interest in healthy Prophetic living and fitness.