skills/sistani-guidance/references/books/west/pages-121-132.md

# A Code of Practice for Muslims in the West

PDF pages 121 to 132. Physical PDF numbering, not inferred printed labels.

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Previous block: [pages 109 to 120](pages-109-120.md).

Next block: [pages 133 to 144](pages-133-144.md).

## PDF PAGE 121

```text
..……………………………………………… ١٢١A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
to every person irrespective of his religion, citizenship, and
beliefs. (See the question-answer section below.)
It is not permissible to steal the property of non-Muslims when
they enter Muslim countries.
It is not permissible for a Muslim to receive wages and subsidy
through illegal means, and other similar methods, for example,
by giving false information to the authorities.
It is permissible for a Muslim to purchase insurance policy
from various insurance companies for insuring his life and
property from fire, flood, theft, and other perils. The insurance
agreement is considered binding and cannot be cancelled
except with the consent of both parties.
It is not permissible for a Muslim to give false information to
the insurance companies with the purpose of obtaining
something that he is not entitled to just as he is not allowed to
intentionally fake an accident like fire, for example, in order to
gain something. Nor would the insurance benefits be lawful for
him. (See the question-answer section below.)
At times the higher interests of the Muslims in non-Muslim
countries demand that Muslims seek membership of political
parties, enter parliaments, and representative assemblies. In
such cases, it is permissible for Muslims to engage in such
activities as much as is demanded by the interest [of the
Muslim community] that must be identified by consulting the
trustworthy experts.
```

## PDF PAGE 122

```text
..……………………………………………… ٢٢١A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
Under no circumstance is it permissible to cheat in school
exams irrespective of the fact that cheating is done by mutual
help among the students or by the passing of notes or by
duping the inspector and other illegal methods that are against
the [education] system. (See the question-answer section
below).
```

## PDF PAGE 123

```text
..……………………………………………… ٣٢١A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
Question and Answers
Question: If a Muslim tries to get from the bank’s cash
dispensing machine some of his own money and more money
than what he had asked for is dispensed, is he allowed to take
the extra money without the bank knowing about it?
Answer: It is not allowed.
Question: A Muslim buys a commodity from a foreign
company in a non-Muslim country; the seller by mistake gives
more than what was ordered. Is the Muslim customer allowed
to take the extra? Is he obliged to inform the seller about the
mistake?
Answer: It is not lawful for him to take the excess amount; if
he did so, it is obligatory for him to return it.
Question: A Muslim employee of a non-Muslim company is in
a position to misappropriate company’s products. Is he allowed
to do this?
Answer: It is not permissible.
Question: Is it permissible to tamper with electric or water or
gas meters, in non-Muslim countries?
Answer: This also is not permissible.
```

## PDF PAGE 124

```text
..……………………………………………… ٤٢١A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
Question: A Muslim in the West claims that he used to drive
in his country for many years and supports his claim with a
document from a given source so that he gets a preferable rate
for his insurance premium. Is he allowed to change the fact in
his statement, even if it is by tawriya (equivocation)? Is it
permissible to help him for this purpose?
Answer: Lying for the above mentioned purpose is not
permissible, nor is it allowed to claim money in this way; and
duplicity in this is helping in committing a sin.
Question: Is it permissible to cheat insurance companies in
non-Muslim countries when one is confident that it would not
tarnish the image of Islam and Muslims?
Answer: It is not permissible.
Question: A Muslim deliberately tourches his insured house so
that he may receive compensation from the non-Muslim
insurance company. Is he allowed to do this? And is it
permissible for him to receive the compensation?
Answer: It is not permissible for him to destroy and waste the
property, nor is it allowed for him to give false information to
the insurance company for the purpose mentioned above. The
money received [in this process] is not lawful.
Question: Is it permissible to cheat [in the exams] at public
schools in Europe? Is it permissible to cheat [in the exams] at
the private Islamic and non-Islamic schools?
```

## PDF PAGE 125

```text
..……………………………………………… ٥٢١A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
Answer: Cheating is not allowed in any of these [schools].
Question: In some means of transportation, there are signs that
say, “No Smoking”. Is it permissible to ignore those signs and
smoke?
Answer: If that sign is like an additional condition for riding in
that vehicle, or an official by-law of the government, and the
passenger has given commitment to abide by the official laws,
it is necessary for him to act according to that condition and his
undertaking.
Question: Is it necessary for the person who has got a visa to
enter a non-Muslim country to abide by the laws of that
country in all fields, like traffic laws, laws regarding work and
employment, etc.?
Answer: If he has given an undertaking—even if indirectly [as
is implied in the immigration documents]— to abide by the
laws of that country, it is necessary for him to fulfill his
commitment in issues that are not contrary to the sacred laws
[of Islam].
As for example, it is necessary to obey traffic regulations
regardless [of the fact whether you have given a commitment
or not], if not obeying those rules could eventually lead to
harming people’s lives and properties which are sacrosanct [in
Islamic laws].
Question: Some governments offer social security benefits to
their citizens as long as one does not find a job. Is it
```

## PDF PAGE 126

```text
..……………………………………………… ٦٢١A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
permissible for them to continue receiving these benefits, even
after they have found work and have not informed the
department concerned about it?
Answer: It is not permissible for them to accept the benefits
except after informing the competent authorities in those
countries about it.
Question: Is it permissible for a Muslim to steal from non-
Muslims in non-Muslim countries? And is it permissible for
him to cheat them in methods that are common among
themselves in order to acquire their property?
Answer: It is not permissible to steal their private or public
property, or vandalize it if that leads to tarnishing the image of
Islam or Muslims in general.
Similarly, it is not allowed to steal, even if it does not lead to
that [i.e., tarnishing the image of Islam or Muslims] but is
considered as perfidy and violation of the guarantee given to
non-Muslims indirectly when one asked permission to enter or
reside in their country. And it is forbidden to breach the trust
and violate the guarantee in regard to every person.
Question: Is it permissible for a Muslim to give false
information to government agencies in Europe in order to gain
monetary and non-monetary privileges and benefits through
their lawful means?
Answer: It is not permissible because it is lying; and what has
been mentioned is not a justified reason [for lying].
```

## PDF PAGE 127

```text
..……………………………………………… ٧٢١A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
Introduction
As a principle, it is permissible for a Muslim to engage, as an
employee of a non-Muslim in various vital activities of life and
in different kinds of [company], of general benefit so that he
may be of use to himself and humanity. This permission is
conditional to the fact that such work is not forbidden by the
laws of Islam and that it does not lead to harming the interest
of Muslims or serve the interest and schemes of the enemies
of Islam and Muslims.
```

## PDF PAGE 128

```text
..……………………………………………… ٨٢١A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
General Rules
It is not permissible for a Muslim to debase himself in front of
any human being be they Muslim or non-Muslim. So, if the
work, that a Muslim does, debases him in from of a non-
Muslim, it is not permissible for him to engage in that debasing
work.
A Muslim is allowed to serve meat of an animal that was not
slaughtered according to Islamic laws to those who consider it
lawful like Christians, Jews, and others. Similarly, it is
permissible for him to work in preparing and cooking that
meat. The money that he receives in return for that work can be
legitimized by the rule of tanazul (withdrawing your exclusive
right from that meat).
It is not permissible for a Muslim to sell pork to those who
believe it is lawful for them among the Christians and others.
Based on obligatory precaution, one should not even serve that
meat to them. (See the question-answer section below.)
A Muslim is not allowed to serve intoxicating drinks to
anyone at all, even to those who believe it is lawful to them. He
is not [even] allowed to wash the dishes or give them to others,
if that washing and giving is part of the drinking of intoxicants.
A Muslim is not allowed to hire himself out for selling or
serving intoxicanting drinks or for washing the dishes for that
purpose, just as it is not allowed for him to take the wages for
```

## PDF PAGE 129

```text
..……………………………………………… ٩٢١A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
this work, as it is unlawful. As for the “extreme need”
justification used by some people for this kind of work, it is an
unacceptable justification. Almighty Allah says, “And
whosoever is careful of (his duty towards) Allah, He will make
for him an outlet; and give him in sustenance from whence he
thinks not. And whosoever trusts in Allah, He is sufficient for
him…” ( )٣:٥٦He also said, “Surely those whom the angels
cause to die while they are unjust to their souls, they shall say,
‘In what state were you?’ They shall answer, ‘We were weak in
the earth.’ They shall say, ‘Was not Allah’s earth spacious so
that you should have migrated therein?’ So, these it is whose
abode is hell, and it is an evil resort except the weak from
among the men and the children who have not in their power
the means nor can they find a way (to escape).” (٧٩:٤- )٨٩
In his sermon of the last pilgrimage, Prophet Muhammad
(s.a.w.) said, “Know that the Trustworthy Soul (Jibra’il) has
inspired in my mind that no soul shall die until its sustenance is
completed. Therefore, fear Allah and work hard in seeking [the
sustenance]; and let not the delay in getting your share of the
sustenance compel you to seek it through disobeying Allah for
the Blessed and Almighty Allah has divided the sustenance
among His creation by lawful means and not through unlawful
means. So, whosoever fears Allah and has patience, Allah will
provide them sustenance from lawful [means]; but whosoever
tears apart the curtain of propriety, makes haste and acquire
their portion from unlawful [means], it will be taken off from
their lawful sustenance and they will be held accountable for it
```

## PDF PAGE 130

```text
..……………………………………………… ٠٣١A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
on the Day of Resurrection." ( )١(١See the question-answer
section below.)
It is not permissible to work in places of entertainment and
other similar places of debauchery if that work would cause
one to drift towards unlawful acts. (See the question-answer
section below.)
It is permissible for Muslims to participate as partners with
non-Muslims (like Christians and Jews for example) in
various kinds of businesses considered lawful in Islamic laws
like selling, buying, export, import, building contracts, etc.
It is permissible to deposit [money] in non-Muslim (private or
state-owned) banks.
If a Muslim intends to get a loan from such banks, it is
necessary that he should do so with the intention that it is a
transaction without return, even if he knows that he will end up
paying the capital as well as the interest. And he should not do
so with the intention of getting the loan with the condition of
[paying] interest.
It is permissible for a Muslim to authorise another person to
use his name (and his credit) to buy shares, in return for an
amount (in money or commodity) on which both have reached
an agreement.
 ١Al-Hurr al-'Amili, Wasa'ulu 'sh-Shi'a, vol.  ,٧١p.  .٤٤
```

## PDF PAGE 131

```text
..……………………………………………… ١٣١A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
It is not permissible for a Muslim to buy products of the
countries that are in a state of war with Islam and Muslims, for
example, Israel. (See the question-answer section below.)
A Muslim is allowed to exchange the currency with some
other currency at the market price, or at a lower or higher rate,
irrespective of the fact that the exchange is of an immediate or
a deferred nature.
It is forbidden to use bank-notes that are counterfeit or have
no value at all—the money that is used by a fraudester when he
pays the worker who is unaware of its forgery or
worthlessness. The business deal conducted with this kind of
money is not valid.
It is not permissible for a Muslim to buy tickets of chance
(including lottery), if he buys them with the intention of
luckily winning the prize.
It is permissible for him to buy the lottery tickets if he buys it
with the intention of participating in a charitable cause that is
accepted Islamically like building hospitals, orphanages, etc.,
but not with the intention of winning the prize. However, this
hypothetical situation is extremely difficulty to occur in non-
Muslim countries that consider certain activities that are
forbidden in Islam to be of a charitable nature according to
their own understanding.
In both the cases [of “a” and “b” if a Muslim wins the lottery],
it is permissible to receive the prize from a non-Muslim
[person or company]. (See the question-answer section below.)
```

## PDF PAGE 132

```text
..……………………………………………… ٢٣١A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West
It is permissible to sell wild animals whose meat is forbidden
like tiger, hyena, fox, elephant, lion, bear, and other similar
animals like cat and whale if there is any legitimate benefit
which makes them valuable in the market (even if in view of
only some experts of that field). Non-hunting dogs and pigs are
exempt from this rule. (See the question-answer section
below.)
It is permissible to sell and buy gold and silver utensils for the
purpose of decoration; however, it is forbidden to use them for
eating and drinking.
No khums is levied on the salary paid by a government in a
Muslim country directly into the bank account of its employee,
even if it is more than his annual expenses—as long as he does
not receive it in his hands. (See the question-answer no.  ٠٦٢
section below.)
```