His Eminence the Shaykh, I graduated from the Faculty of Law and I want to work as a lawyer. What is your opinion, and what is the ruling of the Shari'ah in your view regarding this? May you be rewarded.
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The questioner : His Eminence the Shaykh says: I graduated from the Faculty of Law and I want to work as a lawyer. What is your opinion, and what is the ruling of the Shari'ah in your view regarding this? May you be rewarded.
The Shaykh : Our view is that lawyering, which is acting as an agent for a man to litigate against his opponent, is divided into two categories.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : One category is for one who wants to defend a right and on the basis of a right. There is nothing wrong with entering into this, because the utmost in it is that one acts as an agent for a person for a fee, and agency for a fee is permissible.
The second category of lawyering is for a lawyer who wants to argue for a right or for a falsehood. This category is not permissible to enter into, because he will be defending both the truth and the falsehood, and this is forbidden. Rather, it is obligatory for a Muslim, if he sees that his brother is about to fall into falsehood, to advise him and not to act as his agent, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sahih Muslim 49a. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you. This is a listener who sent a question without mentioning his name. He says:
The Shaykh : Our view is that lawyering, which is acting as an agent for a man to litigate against his opponent, is divided into two categories.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : One category is for one who wants to defend a right and on the basis of a right. There is nothing wrong with entering into this, because the utmost in it is that one acts as an agent for a person for a fee, and agency for a fee is permissible.
The second category of lawyering is for a lawyer who wants to argue for a right or for a falsehood. This category is not permissible to enter into, because he will be defending both the truth and the falsehood, and this is forbidden. Rather, it is obligatory for a Muslim, if he sees that his brother is about to fall into falsehood, to advise him and not to act as his agent, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
He who amongst you sees something abominable should modify it with the help of his hand; and if he has not strength enough to do it, then he should do it with his tongue, and if he has not strength enough to do it, (even) then he should (abhor it) from his heart, and that is the least of faith.
من رأى منكم منكراً فليغيّره بيده، فإن لم يستطع فبلسانه، فإن لم يستطع فبقلبه، وذلك أضعف الإيمانThe questioner : May Allah bless you. This is a listener who sent a question without mentioning his name. He says: