Is It Permissible to Work in a Shop That Polishes and Renews Idols?
Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick
Question
I work in a shop where idols are polished and renewed but not sold. I am starting to doubt the permissibility of my income from this work. Is it haram to be involved in this type of business?
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 a lawful income is essential in Islam. It is impermissible to work in a shop where idols are polished and renewed, even if they are not sold. This is because it involves aiding in beautifying items used for shirk, which is a grave sin. Allah (Most High) says:
“Help one another in goodness and righteousness, and do not help one another in sin and transgression” [Quran, 5:2].
Please be advised to leave this job as soon as you seek and find lawful employment. Repent for past involvement and trust that Allah (Most High) will provide lawful sustenance.
And Allah knows best.
I pray this is of benefit and that Allah guides us all.
[Shaykh] Irshaad Sedick
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Muhammad Abu Bakr Badhib
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.
Shaykh Irshaad received Ijaza from many luminaries of the Islamic world, including Shaykh Taha Karaan, Mawlana Yusuf Karaan, 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 served as the Director of the Discover Islam Centre and Al Jeem Foundation. For the last five years till present, he has served as the Khatib of Masjid Ar-Rashideen, Mowbray, Cape Town.
Shaykh Irshaad has thirteen years of teaching experience at some of the leading Islamic institutes in Cape Town). He is currently building an Islamic online learning 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 living and fitness.
