I've been a muslim almost a year and sadly, I must say, that my job is haram. My college degree is in finance, and I currently work in the investment industry in Boston. Obviously I want to change careers so that I can have a job that is halal, as I feel this is the one major thing keeping me from becoming a truly pious believer.
The hard part is that I also need to maintain a reasonable salary due to the high costs of living in Boston (we recently moved from Seattle to Boston for my wife's job).
I had actually joined the company I work with now with the intention of being able to go overseas for an international assignment (as is common in the company) and work in Islamic finance (they are a huge company with offices in every major muslim country). Sadly, however, I have come to realize that Islamic finance is no different from the current system we have in place today.
Because of this, I'm looking to go in an entirely new direction, which is scary given that my speciality is in finance. Although I'm willing to take risks, it's harder to do when you're married.
So I'd like it if members could reply to this with examples of halal jobs that can earn a decent salary (since I'm in Boston, I'm looking at anything above $40K per year insha Allah).
ASalaamu alaikum! I have worked in the banking business and in auditing in the past. From what you've described, your job seems halal. It may be a bit stressful dealing with the banking industry as a whole and their snake practices and the people who may be non-Muslim. Unfortunately, in America, we are in the belly of the beast (so to speak). Thank subhanAllah for allowing you to be productive and for being able to pray salat at work. Ask Allah to guide you and protect you from the Shaytan.
But you will be even more stressed if you up and quit your job, not having means to support your family. Keep your job for now and while seeking guidance from Allah, begin looking for other work. You may get that international transfer that you've been wanting.
As far as seeking advice about quitting a job, be careful with that because some people make Islam difficult and will tell you to quit your job. Trust me, they are not going to help you find another or help you care for your family. As soon as I reverted, I had older Muslim sisters telling me that working is haram and that I should immediately quit my job and rely only on my husband. These same women, I have helped them find employment and other opportunities, but they wanted to deny me a means to live and support myself and my family.
Last edited by cottonrainbow; 11-10-2013 at 02:32 PM.
Reason: additional advice
Hey there! Looks like you're enjoying the discussion, but you're not signed up for an account.
When you create an account, we remember exactly what you've read, so you always come right back where you left off. You also get notifications, here and via email, whenever new posts are made. And you can like posts and share your thoughts. Sign Up
Quote
Hide
Looks like you're enjoying the discussion, but you're not signed up for an account.
Bookmarks