Fatwa #4605228 August 2020Pakistan
Is it permissible to work for an accounting firm whose clients are banks, insurance & alcohol companies?
Question
Slm. I have one question. I work in an accounting firm. I have one client that does delivery of beverages . But among the beverages they also deliver phoenix beer. If the client pay me fees for the accounting services done like preparation and submission of monthly vat and npf returns and yearly tax returns. Is it ok?
If a company has many clients and amongst them have clients like banks and Insurance companies and they perform audit work for those companies. The monthly salary that I receive. Is it also not correct?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
Respected Brother,
As an accountant, your duty is to do audits, prepare financial and tax reports and other such activities. In doing so, you are not directly involved in the impermissible action. Hence, the fees received by your clients will be permissible.
The second issue is the source of your remuneration. If the company is only involved in auditing banks and insurance companies and does not involve itself in preparation of any documents that will be used in the actual insurance or interest transactions, then their affiliation with such clients is permissible. Hence, your income will be permissible.[1]
However, if the company is directly involved in the insurance or interest transactions of their clients, then their source of income is impermissible. In principle, if more than half of the company’s income is from impermissible sources, it is not permissible for you to receive any remuneration from them. However, if half or more of the company’s income is from permissible sources, your salary is permissible.[2] [3]
You may refer to the following link for some guidelines and beneficial advices by Hadhrat Mufti Taqi Uthmaani (Madda Zilluhu) for accountants:
http://askimam.org/public/question_detail/7872.html
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Abdullah Noorgat
Student Darul Ifta
South Africa
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
[1] الدر المختار شرح تنوير الأبصار وجامع البحار (ص: 661)
(و) جاز تعمير كنيسة و (حمل خمر ذمي) بنفسه أو دابته (بأجر) لا عصرها لقيام المعصية بعينه
كنز الدقائق (ص: 612)
وجاز بيع العصير من خمّارٍ وإجارة بيتٍ ليتّخذه بيت نارٍ أو بيعةً أو كنيسةً أو يباع فيه خمرٌ بالسّواد وحمل خمرٍ لذمّيٍّ بأجرٍ
الاختيار لتعليل المختار (4/ 162)
وَلَا بَأْسَ بِبَيْعِ الْعَصِيرِ مِمَّنْ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ يَتَّخِذُهُ خَمْرًا؛ وَمَنْ حَمَلَ خَمْرًا لِذِمِّيٍّ طَابَ (سم) لَهُ الْأَجْرُ
[2] امداد الاحکام (4/386-390)
کفار جو مال حرام طریقہ سے حاصل کریں اس کا حکم
[3] Contemporary Fatawaa (Page 162)
References
- Contemporary Fatawaa (Page 162)