This is growing to be a concern, for it seems like in essence I am serving them. They tell me what to do. I want to believe that its ok, because they are not telling me what to believe, (and if they do I don't have give them heed.) If anyone could show me an example in Hadeeth of a muslim working for/ serving a non-believer I think that would clarify this for me.
Maybe I'm being way too careful - like I'm in a badminton class for school and badminton requires that you 'serve'. I played the other day thinking oh, man, I hope they shut us out because I don't want to have the service for fear of shirk.
Is this just going to show me that I need to move to a place/school that is not run by kufar?
Reflecting on that, didn't Prophet Yusuf (Joseph) work as a wealth secretary or minister for the Egyptian king who was non muslim?
And the king said, "Bring him to me; I will appoint him exclusively for myself." And when he spoke to him, he said, "Indeed, you are today established [in position] and trusted."
[Yusuf (Joseph)] said: "Set me over the storehouses of the land; I will indeed guard them with full knowledge"
Thus did We give full authority to Yusuf (Joseph) in the land, to take possession therein, as when or where he likes. We bestow of Our Mercy on whom We please, and We make not to be lost the reward of Al-Muhsinun (the good doers)
[Qur'an [Surah Yusuf] 12: 54-6]
http://quranicrealm.com/quran.php?q=12
Allah knows best.
Last edited by - Qatada -; 11-27-2007 at 08:18 PM.
I don't think I've ever seen it said that you cannot work for non muslims, except in that it's preferable to work for muslims, especially if non muslim bosses infringe on your obligatory islamic practices.
People often write to shayook asking for advice on how to deal with bosses who won't let them pray, or won't let them wear hijab. I can't remember ever seeing a shaykh advising the person that working for a non muslim is haram.
From the hijab advice, check this out:
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “There is no obedience to anyone in disobedience to Allah.” In other words, you are not bound to obey your boss if he orders you to disobey Allah. In Islam, we are not even allowed to obey our parents if they order us to disobey Allah. So you don’t need to apologize for wearing hijab.
A layperson may take that hadith and say that it means that we can't have non muslim bosses. However, the scholar, who knows more about the hadith then what is presented at face value, uses it in a way to mean that we can have non muslim bosses as long as they're not making us disobedient to Allah (swt).
Here is some advice given to someone worried about working for a jewish company. Notice that there is nothing in the answer that says it's haram to work for a non muslim, but instead addresses the problem of supporting israel.
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