What is the ruling on accepting the invitation of one who works in banks and insurance?
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Question:
My brother in Islam invited you to a wedding feast, and he works in a bank. Do you accept his invitation and eat from his food, or what do you do? And what is the difference between one who works in interest-based banks and one who works in commercial insurance companies, such as life and car insurance? Is the invitation of one who works in commercial insurance companies to be accepted? Please inform us about this, may Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
These are matters that have become widespread in the mixing of earnings and the abundance of impurity. They have become widespread in this age. The believer should be cautious of impure earnings and strive for good earnings. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:: Indeed, Allah the Exalted is Good and accepts nothing but what is good. The believer should be cautious of impure earnings. And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: .
Therefore, the believer should guard against impure earnings as much as possible, such as working in banks, or in insurance companies, or in similar ways that contain impurity. He should be cautious.
As for whether his invitation is to be accepted, or whether he is to be boycotted, or similar matters: there is discussion among the scholars on this. Some of them recommend not accepting his invitation, because in that case his earnings are impure. And some of them do not hold that view, because the original state is safety, and you do not know what he has prepared for you?
And boycotting has a recommended aspect; perhaps he will benefit from the boycott. But his food does not become forbidden. And a group of scholars said: Boycotting the people of sins is a confirmed sunnah if they make them public—they make the sins public. And some of them said: It is obligatory to boycott him until he abandons the sin. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did both of these; he boycotted some people and left others.
So if the Muslim sees the benefit in boycotting, he boycotts. And if he sees the religious benefit in not boycotting, and in maintaining the advice, guidance, and direction, he does so. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) boycotted the three who lagged behind in the expedition to Tabuk, and he did not boycott Abdullah ibn Ubayy and a group of the hypocrites; to reconcile them to Islam, and out of fear of a fitnah that would occur by boycotting them.
And if the one who works in the bank or elsewhere has other earnings besides the forbidden, the matter in this is broad. The food presented may be from impure earnings, and it may be from the other earnings. So the matter is broad in it, and less dangerous than the one who has no earnings except the bank, or the other impure earnings.
So if a person is scrupulous and does not accept his invitation if all his earnings are impure, and he explains to him: I did not leave accepting your invitation except for this reason; perhaps he will be deterred, perhaps he will respond; this is good from the perspective of scrupulousness, and from the perspective of cooperating in good.
And if boycotting him in that way may lead to harms, evil, enmity, hatred, and abandoning the truth; then let him do what is best, as the Salaf did. He must look at what is best, and seek what is best. And he is not certain that this food is from impure earnings; rather, it may be from other earnings, from other dirhams that came to him besides the impure earnings.
So the conclusion is: that leaving that, if all his earnings are impure, and he has no earnings except the impure earnings, leaving the acceptance is more appropriate and safer, from the perspective of boycotting, and from the perspective of showing the dislike of the work he is in; perhaps he will respond, perhaps he will repent. Except if there are harms and religious danger in leaving the boycott, and religious benefits that are lost. This is a place for the believer to look and reflect: if accepting is better in religion and more beneficial for the Muslims, he accepts. And if not accepting is better, and in it is deterrence for this sinner, and in it is calling him to good; he leaves the acceptance, perhaps he will respond, and perhaps he will benefit.
My brother in Islam invited you to a wedding feast, and he works in a bank. Do you accept his invitation and eat from his food, or what do you do? And what is the difference between one who works in interest-based banks and one who works in commercial insurance companies, such as life and car insurance? Is the invitation of one who works in commercial insurance companies to be accepted? Please inform us about this, may Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
These are matters that have become widespread in the mixing of earnings and the abundance of impurity. They have become widespread in this age. The believer should be cautious of impure earnings and strive for good earnings. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Allah the Exalted says:
يقول الله No servant gives in charity the weight of a date from good earnings—and Allah does not accept except what is good—except that Allah accepts it with His right hand, and He grows it for its owner as one of you grows his foal or its young, until it becomes like a mountain.
ما من عبدٍ يتصدق بعَدْل تمرةٍ من كسبٍ طيبٍ -ولا يقبل الله إلا الطيب- إلا تقبَّلها الله بيمينه، فيُربّيها لصاحبها كما يُربي أحدُكم فُلُوَّه أو فصيله، حتى تكون مثل الجبلTherefore, the believer should guard against impure earnings as much as possible, such as working in banks, or in insurance companies, or in similar ways that contain impurity. He should be cautious.
As for whether his invitation is to be accepted, or whether he is to be boycotted, or similar matters: there is discussion among the scholars on this. Some of them recommend not accepting his invitation, because in that case his earnings are impure. And some of them do not hold that view, because the original state is safety, and you do not know what he has prepared for you?
And boycotting has a recommended aspect; perhaps he will benefit from the boycott. But his food does not become forbidden. And a group of scholars said: Boycotting the people of sins is a confirmed sunnah if they make them public—they make the sins public. And some of them said: It is obligatory to boycott him until he abandons the sin. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did both of these; he boycotted some people and left others.
So if the Muslim sees the benefit in boycotting, he boycotts. And if he sees the religious benefit in not boycotting, and in maintaining the advice, guidance, and direction, he does so. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) boycotted the three who lagged behind in the expedition to Tabuk, and he did not boycott Abdullah ibn Ubayy and a group of the hypocrites; to reconcile them to Islam, and out of fear of a fitnah that would occur by boycotting them.
And if the one who works in the bank or elsewhere has other earnings besides the forbidden, the matter in this is broad. The food presented may be from impure earnings, and it may be from the other earnings. So the matter is broad in it, and less dangerous than the one who has no earnings except the bank, or the other impure earnings.
So if a person is scrupulous and does not accept his invitation if all his earnings are impure, and he explains to him: I did not leave accepting your invitation except for this reason; perhaps he will be deterred, perhaps he will respond; this is good from the perspective of scrupulousness, and from the perspective of cooperating in good.
And if boycotting him in that way may lead to harms, evil, enmity, hatred, and abandoning the truth; then let him do what is best, as the Salaf did. He must look at what is best, and seek what is best. And he is not certain that this food is from impure earnings; rather, it may be from other earnings, from other dirhams that came to him besides the impure earnings.
So the conclusion is: that leaving that, if all his earnings are impure, and he has no earnings except the impure earnings, leaving the acceptance is more appropriate and safer, from the perspective of boycotting, and from the perspective of showing the dislike of the work he is in; perhaps he will respond, perhaps he will repent. Except if there are harms and religious danger in leaving the boycott, and religious benefits that are lost. This is a place for the believer to look and reflect: if accepting is better in religion and more beneficial for the Muslims, he accepts. And if not accepting is better, and in it is deterrence for this sinner, and in it is calling him to good; he leaves the acceptance, perhaps he will respond, and perhaps he will benefit.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.