Date : 27-09-2016

Question :

I live in a western country, and I work for a store that sells furniture, stationary and building materials where customers pay via credit card. Is my job illegal because I receive the price of the sold items through such means?


The Answer :

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of The Worlds, and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.



There is no harm in receiving the price of goods via credit cards even if they ran out of balance, or dealing in them incurs a usurious condition since the aim behind selling an item is receiving its price. Moreover, according to Sharia there is no harm in doing business with someone whose money is a mixture of that which is lawful and that which is unlawful.



"The Prophet (PBUH) died while his armor was mortgaged to a Jew for thirty Sa's of barley." This narration indicates that it is permissible to do business with someone whose money is a mixture of that which is lawful and that which is unlawful if he couldn`t tell which is which because the Prophet(PBUH) had dealt with the Jew although Jews believe that the price of wine is lawful, and they deal in usury(Riba).{Al-Majmou` Shareh al-Mohzzab, 13/418}. "



Although disliked, it is permissible for a Muslim to engage in a partnership with: a Dhim`mi(A non-Muslim living under the protection of a Muslim state), one who eats usury and one whose money is a mixture of that which is lawful and that which is unlawful. Accordingly, if becoming partners with those categories is permissible, then engaging in a business transaction with them is permissible as well.{Hashyat al-Qalioubi ala Shareh al-Minhajj, 2/418}. And Allah knows best.