skills/sistani-guidance/references/books/west/pages-133-144.md

# A Code of Practice for Muslims in the West

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Previous block: [pages 121 to 132](pages-121-132.md).

Next block: [pages 145 to 156](pages-145-156.md).

## PDF PAGE 133

```text
..……………………………………………… ٣٣١A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
Work & investment
Question and Answers
Question: In the West, it is possible for a person to open a
variety of current accounts with high or low interest rates
equally without any difficulty in both the cases. Is it
permissible to open accounts with high interest rate with the
understanding that the person will not demand the interest, if
the bank denies it to him?
If it is not permissible, is there a solution that would allow
them to open such an account knowing well that they, in their
heart, are seeking the best interest?
Answer: They are allowed to open the account in the bank and
it is [also] permissible for them to deposit in it with the
condition of earning the interest, if the bank is financed by
non-Muslim governments or people.
Question: Banks in the West give loans —known as
mortgage— to those who do not have enough money to buy
houses; this is to be paid back in [weekly or monthly]
instalments with a high rate of interest. Is a Muslim allowed to
use this facility? If it is not permissible, is there a solution in
your view for someone who claims that he needs the mortgage
to buy his own residential house and does not possess enough
money to pay for it?
```

## PDF PAGE 134

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..……………………………………………… ٤٣١A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
Answer: It is permissible to take the money from the bank that
is financed by non-Muslim government or private funds but not
with the intention of loan. The knowledge that the bank will
sooner or later force him to pay the capital as well as the
interest does not affect [the lawfulness of] his taking the
money.
Question: Some governments are committed to providing
housing for the needy under specific circumstances. Is it
permissible for a Muslim to buy a house in which he resides
for a short time (so that he will not be liable for khums [on that
house]), and then he gives it out on rent so he can then go and
live in a house subsidized by the government?
Answer: Khums is not waived from a house just by living in it
for a short while without actually being in need of it, as has
been presumed in the question.
Question: Some trading and manufacturing companies get
loans from private or state banks in Muslim countries and also
from other [non-Muslim] institutions with the condition of
interest; and they also earn interest on the deposits they leave
in those banks. Are we allowed to buy shares from these
companies or be partners in their ventures?
Answer: If the partnership with them is like participating in
their interest-bearing activities, it is not allowed. However, if
Muslims own the company and it receives interest from the
banks of non-Muslims, there is no problem [in buying its
shares or partnership] from this perspective.
```

## PDF PAGE 135

```text
..……………………………………………… ٥٣١A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
Question: Some governments and some companies in non-
Muslim as well as Muslim, countries deposit the salaries of
their employees directly into their accounts in the banks. The
employee does not get the money in his hand, although he can
withdraw it whenever he wants. Now, if the statement of his
account shows that the money has surpassed his annual
expenses, is khums obligatory on it?
Answer: Khums is obligatory in what has surpassed his annual
needs, except in the case of a government employee in a
Muslim state that deposits his salary into a state or private
bank. In the latter case, khums would not be obligatory on the
salary that has been deposited in the bank until he [physically]
takes possession of it with the permission of the mujtahid  )١(١
Then the salary will be included in his income of that year and
khums will become obligatory on what is in excess to that
year’s expenses.
Question: A Muslim took a loan from another Muslim. After a
while the market value of that amount goes down. How much
should he pay back to the creditor? The amount that he got as
 ١Translator's Note: Working for a government in a Muslim
state is itself problematic from the religious point of view
unless it is an Islamic government. So the salary received from
such a government cannot become legitimate unless permission
is sought from the mujtahid. This is the underlining reason for
the clause "without the permission of the mujtahid" in the
above answer.
```

## PDF PAGE 136

```text
..……………………………………………… ٦٣١A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
loan or its equivalent in the market value at the time of
payment? Does the rule differ if the creditor is non-Muslim?
Answer: He has to pay the same amount that he got as loan;
and there is no difference whether the creditor was Muslim or
non-Muslim.
Question: Is it permissible to invest in companies who deal in
part, in intoxicanting drinks without the possibility of
separating one’s investment from that of the others in that line
of production?
Answer: It is not permissible to participate or deal in the
production of intoxicanting drinks.
Question: A Muslim builder or contractor is approached for
building a place of worship for non-Muslims in a non-Muslim
country. Is it permissible for him to accept that job?
Answer: It is not permissible because it involves promoting
the false religions.
Question: A Muslim calligrapher is approached for preparing
a billboard promoting intoxicanting drinks, or for an all-night
dance party, or for a restaurant that serves pork. Is it
permissible for him to accept these jobs?
Answer: It is not permissible because it involves advertising
indecent acts and promoting immorality.
```

## PDF PAGE 137

```text
..……………………………………………… ٧٣١A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
Question: Is it permissible to buy goods from companies that
allocate part of their profits to supporting Israel?
Answer: We do not allow that.
Question: A Muslim buys a building but does not know that it
also contains a pub whose lease he cannot terminate [before its
expiry]. Then he finds out the fact.
(a) Is it permissible for him to receive the rent of the pub from
the lessee?
(b) If it is not allowed, is it permissible for him to receive the
rent with the permission of the mujtahid? Or under other
pretext?
(c) If we assume that he knew about the existence of the pub
before buying the building, is it permissible for him to buy that
building knowing that he cannot terminate the lease of the pub
owner?
Answer:
(a) It is not permissible for him to receive the rent in return for
renting that place as a pub.
(b) Since he owns the right of rent of that place for permissible
use, he is allowed to take (from the money given to him as rent
for the pub) an amount that is his right. If the lessee is non-
Muslim, the owner can take the money but not as rent [for the
pub].
(c) It is permissible for him to buy that building, even if he
knew about the above-mentioned lessee and that he cannot
terminate that lease.
```

## PDF PAGE 138

```text
..……………………………………………… ٨٣١A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
Question: Is it permissible for a Muslim business owner to
employ non-Muslims in his business even though there are
Muslims who need jobs?
Answer: On its own terms, it is permissible; but based on the
demands of Islamic brotherhood and the rights that Muslims
have over one another, it is better to choose Muslims over non-
Muslims as long as there is no problem in it.
Question: Is it permissible to work as salesman or cashier in
shops that sell pornographic magazines? Is it permissible to
deal in these kinds of magazines? Is it permissible to print
them?
Answer: None of these [activities] is permissible because they
aim at promoting forbidden acts and propagating immorality.
Question: A Muslim works in a non-Muslim country, in a
private office, or in a government office, or on contract for a
specific project where he is paid by the hour. Is it permissible
for him to waste some hours or work negligently or
intentionally delay the job? Does he deserve the full wages?
Answer: This is not allowed; and if one does it, he is not
entitled to full wages.
Question: Some Muslims deal in the manuscripts of the Holy
Qur’an which they import from Muslim countries. Is this
permissible? If the obstacle in selling is the law that forbids
selling the Qur’an to non-Muslims, is it possible to overlook
```

## PDF PAGE 139

```text
..……………………………………………… ٩٣١A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
this condition so that the deal may be legitimate? If it is
permissible, how do we bypass this condition?
Answer: We do not allow this since it is detrimental to the
[intellectual and cultural] heritage of the Muslims and their
resources.
Question: Is it permissible to deal in manuscripts, art works,
and Islamic artifacts by importing them from Muslim countries
with the purpose of selling them at high prices in, for example,
European countries? Or is this considered ruinous to Islamic
heritage, and therefore not permissible?
Answer: We do not allow this for the reason mentioned earlier.
Question: During some nights the clubs are filled with their
non-Muslim customers who usually get drunk, and come out
looking for restaurants to eat their meal. Is it permissible for a
Muslim to work in such restaurants to serve permissible food
to drunkards and sober customers alike? Is it a sin, if that
permissible food helps in decreasing the effect of intoxication
or other similar effect?
Answer: On its merits, there is no problem in this.
Question: Is it permissible for a Muslim to sell pork to those
who believe it is permissible for them like the Ahlul Kitab?
Answer: It is not permissible to deal in pork at all.
```

## PDF PAGE 140

```text
..……………………………………………… ٠٤١A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
Question: Is it permissible to work at a store that sells pork in
the sense that the Muslim supervisor asks one of his employees
to give pork to the customer?
Answer: It is not permissible to sell pork, even to those who
consider it lawful, be it directly or through an intermediary. As
for handling pork for those who consider it lawful, there is
problem in it; however, based on obligatory precaution, one
should refrain from it.
Question: A person knows for sure that one day he will see a
haram scene on television or video. Is it then permissible to
buy it?
Answer: The reason compels him not to buy.
Question: You have said that a Muslim is allowed to buy
lottery tickets, if he intends to contribute to a charitable cause,
i.e. with no intention of winning the prize. Now, if a Muslim
intends that he is donating some part of the price of the lottery
ticket for a charitable cause that the lottery company chooses,
and the rest of the price is with the intention of winning the
prize—would it be permissible to buy the lottery ticket with
such intention?
Answer: It is not permissible.
Question: Is it allowed for a mature and responsible Muslim to
encourage a child to buy a lottery ticket and then ask him to
present it to himself as a gift? Is it permissible for him to ask
```

## PDF PAGE 141

```text
..……………………………………………… ١٤١A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
an Ahlul Kitab person to buy the ticket [for him] with the
intention of winning the prize?
Answer: The prohibition is not lifted by any of those [loop
holes] because the rule of causing or delegating [the act of
buying the lottery ticket] is like doing it directly.
Question: Is it permissible to buy, say, honey, which has on it
a lottery ticket with the intention of winning the probable prize
at the time of buying?
Answer: It is permissible, if the entire price is for the honey
and not for the probable prize.
Question: A Muslim wins a lottery prize and then decides to
donate a portion of the prize to a charitable organization. Is it
permissible for that charitable organization to accept the
money [or the item] and use it for the welfare of Muslims? And
does it make a difference if the intention of the winner from the
very beginning had been to use some of the prize for the well-
being of Muslims?
Answer: If the prize belongs to those whose wealth is not
sacrosanct [in Islam], it is permissible to utilize it.
Question: If a winner of the lottery performs hajj with the
prize of the lottery, is his hajj valid?
Answer: The ruling is clear from the answer of the last
question.
```

## PDF PAGE 142

```text
..……………………………………………… ٢٤١A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
Question: If an unjust and usurping establishment gives an
amount of money to a Muslim [to spend it for hajj], what is the
status of his hajj?
Answer: If it is not known that that particular money was
aquired unlawfully, the recipient should not worry if the giver
is unjust and usurper.
Question: Is it permissible to work in a restaurant where
intoxicating drinks are served, if the worker does not himself
serve them; nevertheless, sometimes he would be washing the
cutlery [in which the drinks were served]?
Answer: If washing the cutlery used for the intoxicating drinks
is considered as a first step in drinking the liquor and serving it
to the customers, it is forbidden.
Question: A Muslim who is committed to promote his religion
is compelled to work in a government department in the West;
this may lead to committing certain forbidden acts. He does
this with the hope that he will have in future a greater influence
in that department. In this way he serves his religion and
considers this service more important than committing the
forbidden acts. Is this permissible for him?
Answer: It is not permissible to commit a forbidden act just for
future [positive] expectations.
Question: Is it permissible for a holder of a law degree to
become a lawyer in a non-Muslim country upholding the laws
```

## PDF PAGE 143

```text
..……………………………………………… ٣٤١A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
of that country, and taking cases of non-Muslims since his
purpose is to attract cases irrespective of their nature?
Answer: If it does not involve violation of a right or lying or
other forbidden acts, there is no problem in it.
Question: Is it permissible for a holder of a law degree to
become a judge in non-Muslim countries in which he acts
according to their laws?
Answer: It is not permissible to administer judgement for
those who are not qualified, and [it is not permissible to judge]
based on non-Islamic laws.
Question: An electrical engineer in a European country is
sometimes called to install or repair public address systems; at
times those places are establishments for illicit entertainment.
Is it permissible for him to engage in this work in such places
with the knowledge that if he declines the customer, it will hurt
his business, in that customers will eventually leave him?
Answer: It is permissible.
Question: A person works in a restaurant in which he might be
required to serve meat that is not halal or pork to non-Muslims.
You have kindly answered the first situation; but the question
remains with regard to the second situation that involves
serving pork alongside the meat that is not halal. Is this
allowed? If he refuses to serve pork, he might lose his job and
be fired.
```

## PDF PAGE 144

```text
..……………………………………………… ٤٤١A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
Answer: Serving pork even to those who consider it lawful is a
problem; and based on obligatory precaution, it must be
avoided.
Question: Is a Muslim allowed to work in grocery stores that
sell liquor in one of its sections, and his work is only as a
cashier?
Answer: He is allowed to receive the price of items other than
liquor and also the price of liquor, if the buyers are non-
Muslims.
Question: A printer in the West prints the menus of
restaurants. Such menus include pork. Is this allowed? Is he
allowed to print the advertisements for pubs and establishments
that provide forbidden entertainment knowing well that his
business will be affected, if he does not print these kinds of
materials?
Answer: It is not permissible for him to do that even if it
affects his business.
```