Is it permissible for a Muslim to work for a company that draws part of its income from Shari’a-repugnant activities like charging of interest or selling haram things?
Sainsbury’s, TESCO and many other high-street retailers sell alcohol, lotteries and non-halal meat products. Some people ask if it is permissible to work for such employers. The answer isn’t straightforward, as the Muslims in Muslim-minority countries are allowed to do a lot of things that otherwise would have been prohibited in the Muslim-majority countries. A general rule of thumb is that any business that doesn’t have a Shari’a-repugnant activity as its main business will be deemed allowable for employment. Thus, if Sainsbury’s draws less than 5 per cent of its income from haram activities, Muslims are allowed to work for it, as long as they are not directly involved in storing, shelving, selling and carrying haram goods and services.