Question :
What is the ruling of Islamic Law on the pension entitlements of military personnel serving in the Jordan Armed Forces?
The Answer :
All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.
Having asked the Financial Department of the General Command of the Jordan Armed Forces, it was made clear to us that "When an officer or a military member is dismissed-before becoming entitled to retirement or social security benefits, or after that-he is given the bonuses that he deserved for the years of service. These are calculated on basis of the years of service, not as an interest for this amount." This is according to the letter of the Director of the Financial Department attached with the letter No.(1/917)(6/4/2008) of the Grand Mufti of the Jordan Armed Forces.
Accordingly, there is no sin in taking this bonus or benefitting from it because it wasn`t calculated on basis of usurious interests, as shown in the afore-letter. Rather, it was calculated based on the efforts exerted over the years of service. This is unless this policy has undergone change of which we aren`t aware. We pray that Allah help us avoid eating up ill-gotten money. And Allah the Almighty knows best.