Is being an accountant haraam?

[إحسان]

Assalamu alaykum,

So recently I've seen people on the internet saying that accountancy is haraam due to handling interest etc, I was wondering is this true? while others say that it depends on what type of accountancy. Can anyone advise me please?

I'm doing my A levels at the moment; Mathematics, Economics, History and English Lit, and I have to choose my degree soon and I'm absolutely torn with what to choose: Accountancy and Finance degree or an Economics degree at LSE/UCL/Oxford...

- Dua

 

[~Zaria~]

Assalamu-alaikum sister,I think for complete peace of mind, this question would be best handled by a mufti/ ulema body.Your best bet would be to write in to someone who you trust, locally. Do not look to ' Sheikh Google' when seeking answers to these sorts of questions.... U most likely be left more confused and possibly misguided than to begin with.Just of hand, we know that dealing with riba is haraam.... And considering that a career is a life-long commitment, make sure that u have peace of mind with your final decision.I realise that this is not ur question, but I would like to add:As a woman it would be most preferable to chosing a career (if there is a need to) in a field that is not so-called 'male dominated', eg commerce, law, engineering, etc...If u find the need to work - perhaps look towards fields that are more 'suitable' to a female - ie those that hold nurturing/ educative roles - eg nursing, medicine, teaching, social work, etc.There's lots that can be said on this...but this is just my 2 cents on the matter...Also, don't forget to seek guidance from the best of Guiders - Allah (subhanawat ala) before any big decisions in life, such as these.Insha Allah, you will be guided to that which is most beneficial to you in this dunya and the aakhirah.Salaam

 

[Muezzin]

So recently I've seen people on the internet saying that accountancy is haraam due to handling interest etc

Those people may not be aware of the practical reality of the situation. If you want to become a commercial professional, odds are you'll encounter interest as unfortunately it is critical for the capitalist society in which we live.

I'll leave the Islamic answer to someone with better expertise in this particular subject. Or better yet, you could ask a local imam.

 

[ardianto]

Assalamu alaykum,

Wa 'alaykum salam, sister.

So recently I've seen people on the internet saying that accountancy is haraam due to handling interest etc, I was wondering is this true? while others say that it depends on what type of accountancy. Can anyone advise me please?

You got 10 dollars from your dad. You use this money to buy burger and ice cream. Then you write on a book.

---------------------------------
Received : 10 dollars

spent for burger : 3 dollars
spent for ice cream : 2 dollars

The rest of my money : 5 dollars.
---------------------------------

This is accountancy, sister.

Is being accountant haram? I am sure accountants in Islamic banks and zakat institutions must be disagree. But if you want to know about it you can ask your local Imam, or Islamic teacher in your area.

By the way, there are people who are too easy to say "it's haram!" or "It's bidah!" on a subject/object without understand the subject/object itself. Also, in internet you can find many "ahlul website wal internet", lay Muslims who learn Islam only in internet, do not follow the correct learning method, but act like ulama, and issue many fatawa. Sometime their fatawa are funny, in example, I found a fatwa like this "da'wah through magazine is bi'dah because Salaf never used magazine in da'wah" ;D

Let me out of topic for a moment.

Do not ever learn Islam in internet, but we must learn from real Islamic teacher in the real world. We can find correct references in internet, but if we do not understand, we cannot ask and probably we are begin to guessing. Different than if we learn from Islamic teacher in the real world, if we don't understand, we can ask and get right answer.


PS: I studied in economic which accountancy is a subject in this major.

 

[crimsontide06]

accounting has nothing to do with interest if that's what you are talking about

 

[ardianto]

accounting has nothing to do with interest if that's what you are talking about

As a small businessman who can't afford to pay accountant or even bookkeeper, I become accountant for my own company. You can see my book if you want, but you will not find interest in it. You can ask accountants who work for Islamic banks and zakat institutions, is there in interest in their books/financial reports?

You can find interest in other companies financial reports that made by their accountants. But is it means being accountant is haram?

Bro, you can say work as driver in interest-based bank is haram because the salary is coming from riba. But is it means work as driver is haram?

Those who say being accountant is haram actually those who don't know what is the job of accountant.

 

[syed_z]

Asalaam O Alaikum...

i personally would avoid the profession of accountancy because of recording interest rates and interest amounts. I heard in one of the lectures of Sheikh Imran Hosein (as i have been listening to him for a while) he quoted this hadith of Sahih Muslim and other Books like Sahih Tirmizi...


Sayyidina Ibn Mas’ud (RA) reported that Allah’s Messenger (SAW) cursed the receiver of interest, its payer, the witnesses (to the deal) and the scribe who writes it down.

[Ahmed 3737, Abu Dawud 3333, Ibn e Majah 2777] (Tirmizi Book of Buying and Selling, Chapter 2 'Concerning Consuming Interest')


@adrianto

Brother But then if you ask about Islamic Banks then there is no interest that they record but then there are many scholars that say there is no such thing as Islamic Banking, banks were never Islamic and banks were institutions started by European Jewry to accumulate wealth etc. Allah (swt) knows Best

 

[ardianto]

@Zyed_Z

Assalamualaikum, brother.

We know, Allah allow trading and forbid riba (interest). It's means we are allowed to establish our own business, but we are not allowed to engaged with interest.

In managing our business, we need to know how much cash we have, what are transactions have been happened, how much value of our assets, how much our income, how much money we have spent, etc. The job to record and writes these is accountancy, and the worker who make the financial report is accountant.

Accountancy is not always engaged with riba.

Brother, if accountancy and work as accountant is haram, it's means we are not allowed to record the transaction, count our assets, know our income, etc.

But if say "Haram for accountant to write interest", I support you.

 

[Banu_Hashim]

This is not a straight forward halaal/haraam hukm that can be given. It depends. If you want, I can inbox you the email address of Dr. (Shaikh) Haitham Al-Haddad. He is an experienced scholar and I believe, an expert in the area of Islamic economics.

 

[Ramadhan]

LSE/UCL/Oxford

Those are some seriously good universities.
An economic degree from LSE would be awesome, you can then work in development area.

 

[Banu_Hashim]

Those are some seriously good universities.
An economic degree from LSE would be awesome, you can then work in development area.

And with an economics degree from Oxford, she could become prime minister

 

[إحسان]

To all those who replied, jazakumullahu khair for sharing your opinions/insights.

Assalamu-alaikum sister,I think for complete peace of mind, this question would be best handled by a mufti/ ulema body.Your best bet would be to write in to someone who you trust, locally. Do not look to ' Sheikh Google' when seeking answers to these sorts of questions.... U most likely be left more confused and possibly misguided than to begin with.Just of hand, we know that dealing with riba is haraam.... And considering that a career is a life-long commitment, make sure that u have peace of mind with your final decision.I realise that this is not ur question, but I would like to add:As a woman it would be most preferable to chosing a career (if there is a need to) in a field that is not so-called 'male dominated', eg commerce, law, engineering, etc...If u find the need to work - perhaps look towards fields that are more 'suitable' to a female - ie those that hold nurturing/ educative roles - eg nursing, medicine, teaching, social work, etc.There's lots that can be said on this...but this is just my 2 cents on the matter...Also, don't forget to seek guidance from the best of Guiders - Allah (subhanawat ala) before any big decisions in life, such as these.Insha Allah, you will be guided to that which is most beneficial to you in this dunya and the aakhirah.Salaam

I would do Medicine, if I weren't so horrible at science thus why I hadn't chosen any Sciences for my A level choices... I also wanted to say, that wasn't Khadija (radiallahu anha) a business women? Isn't that male-dominated? Less so than during Mohammed's (pbuh) time? I guess it would be more preferable to be a nurse, teacher but the jobs unfortunately don't spark my interest... but thank you for telling me about 'Shiekh Google' LOL!





I think the hadith syed_z posted (thank you!) has answered my question, I also have heard Anwar Alawaki (Allah yer7amu) mention the hadith in Arabic. I think I might do an Economics degree, it'll open more doors than just an Accounting & Finance degree. Accounting does include recording and writing interest so I'd rather have a peaceful mind than constantly worry. Perhaps I'll be an Economist inshAllah? :statisfie

And with an economics degree from Oxford, she could become prime minister

loool, the chance of that happening are VERY VERY VERY slim! A British-Saudi hijabi Prime Minister of the UK - hilarious! People (non-muslim UK citizen) will be like: mg: SHARIA! ¬.¬

 

[syed_z]

Accountancy is not always engaged with riba.

Wa Alaikum Salaam Wa Rahmatullahi

Brother thanks for explaining that. I completely agree with you on the things that you listed that as long as the Accountant deals with such things only then no doubt it is not haraam and we dare not say things which are halaal and make them haraam.

But if you look at a big reality of the modern world today is that every business, whether Multinational Corporations and businesses linked to them, Government agencies or Small or Medium Enterprises almost all of them, including those in the Muslim World all require Capital to run their businesses and their businesses are being run on Capital from the Banks in the face of loans, millions of dollars worth of loans and then to work for these firms as an accountant, its hard to believe that we are not going to be dealing with recording interest based transactions.

Also the Prophet (saw) himself prophesied about mankind...


Narrated AbuHurayrah: The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: A time is certainly coming to mankind when only the receiver of usury will remain, and if he does not receive it, some of its vapour will reach him. Ibn Isa said: Some of its dust will reach him. (Book #22, Hadith #3325 Abu Dawud)


So we can clearly see there is hardly anyone in this modern world of ours who is not dealing with Riba. Even the ones who say we're not, certainly the dust of riba does reach them for example paying rent for a room to a house owner who in turn uses your money to pay his mortgage (Sheikh Imran gave this example in one of his lectures on Riba) i.e. Dust reaching us.

But again i dont say 100% all businesses in the world will be dealing with Riba/interest, may be one or 2 percent might be dealing with no riba and the accountants working for them might not have to record any interest based transactions and would only deal with other transactions.

Allah (swt) knows best.

 

[Yanal]

I was also pondering on about this question so the answers provided in this thread were extremely beneficial. JazakAllaah khayr to all of you.

 

[GuestFellow]

Salaam,

Choose economics. Accounting is so BORING (currently working as a trainee in accounts). Here's my lame advice.

I worked at a charity shop and several law firms. Nearly everything involves interest. It's really hard to avoid it.

 

[Banu_Hashim]

1. Trading in ar-riba (usury) is unlawful and it is a major sin:

"Allah has permitted trading and forbidden riba." (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:275)

And in the Words of Allah, Most High in Surah Al-Baqarah (2:278-279);

"Oh you who believe! Be afraid of Allah and give up what remains (due to you) from riba (usury) (from now onward), if you are (really) believers. And if you do not do it, then take notice of a war from Allah and His Messenger but if you repent, you shall have have your capital sums. Deal not unjustly (by asking more than your capital sums), and you shall not be dealt with unjustly (by receiving less than your capital sums)."

It is also based upon a number of ahadeeth, such as the hadeeth narrated by Jabir رضي الله عنه, in which he said: "The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم‎ cursed the one who devours usury, the one who pays it to him, the one who records it and the witnesses to it, saying: "They are all the same." This is an authentic hadeeth.[1]

They are all the same: That is, they are all equally guilty of sin.

[1] Narrated by Muslim (3/1219, no. 106/1598)

 

[GuestFellow]

Salaam,

We are all aware that it is a major sin. But how on Earth are we supposed to avoid it? It is beyond our control. I mean even working at a shop, interest is involved. I wish there was a practicable solution to all this.

 

[Signor]

What about being a financial analyst?

I feel all those fields dealing with usury and interest are a direct war with Allah

 

[ardianto]

Just want to know, who are employee in accounting department in companies in Saudi Arabia? Muslims or non-Muslims?

 

[GuestFellow]

No idea. Why do you want to know?