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Is Income Halal While Working In Company Who Helps War Industry?
Aua. I had a question regarding halal earning and Taqwa. I am a newly graduated electrical engineer in canada. i was looking for jobs. Engineering jobs usually require working on or with different low and heavy equipment for different purposes. In addition, we also need to work on or work with different types of engineering software. Alot of the companies that build these softwares, machinery and equipment for normal industrial usage also engage into give their services, products, softwares to defence companies or build weapons for defence companies or the government ministry of defence for western countries. In addition to normal equipment for industrial usage they also make equipment which has usage in military or both military and normal industrial usage. some companies that do this are siemens, General Electric, Autodesk, rockwell automation.
For example, Siemens builds electrical products for normal industrial usage but also makes products used in very big and destructive weapons worth millions or even billions. They also have a research and development (R &D) department just for equipment for the defence industry. The same is the case with General Electric. Autodesk also has partnered with the Department of Defence of the United States to provide its products to them to build their buildings and installations. My concern is that they work with or for the defence industry also. The governments and defence industry are involved in the ruthless murder of millions.
My question is that is it permissible for us to work in firms that use the equipment, machinery and software these companies make, to do engineering work which is non-military in nature like the construction of a hospital, library or the building of a solar farm, wind farm or a factory for steel, paper, food and drinks etc.
In addition to being permissible, What will be the option of highest level of taqwa?
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8 Replies
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Is Income Halal While Working In Company Who Helps War Industry?
updated 1 year, 2 months ago
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Replies
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Since these things are not meant to use only for destructive purposes which are necessarily evil, therefore there is no harm in working and serving in such companies which produce such logistics. Taqwa also needs to be in line with normality. Taqwa comes to play when there are things that are somewhat suspiciously bad or undesirable. Here, things are being produced for different usages and you are not responsible for the person for its wrong use.
For example, electricity is also used for many things which are bad and evil, but there is no responsibility on the people who work in the power industry for the wrongdoings of others.
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Thank you. I had one more question. I have been offered a job but i saw another advertisement for a job based in another city. i wanted to apply to that job that because i wanted to be close to my family (uncles, aunt) but I had some reservations. According to my research the company that has offered this job works on or works for different companies including Atco Electric. Atco Electric is a utility company which only works on residential, commercial, industrial and municipal projects but is kind of a subsidiary of the Atco group. The Atco group has other businesses or subsidiaries too. This group also does projects for the military and probably NATO in terms of comprehensive logistics, operational and in-service support solutions . They also provided services during the Afghan war.
According to this group, they started their business in 1947 to provide accommodation to workers in Canada’s first oil boom. Modular housing’s rapidly growing demand led to the opening of ATCO’s original manufacturing facility in the city of Airdrie, a former hangar of the Canadian Airforce. This group has also worked in the Middle East in the mid to late seventies , they did massive housing projects for thousands of workers in the middle East.
According to my research, I think that they earn money from normal projects and invest it into other businesses or open new businesses that provide services to the military because they started with businesses that donot work with military but now they have businesses which work with or for the military. i think this, because they came into the utilities business in 1980 and according to their website the earliest track i have of them working for the military or NATO is in late 1980s.
My question is that is it O.k to work for such a company.
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There seems no harm in working for such a firm whose primary revenue generating activity is halal.
For comments of Ghamidi Sahab, please refer to the video below from 45:30 to 46:33
https://www.youtube.com/live/NyN171MwbmM?feature=share&t=2730
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Thank you but my point was that if it may seem that the profit earned through a halal business is invested into businesses that do haram and evil stuff like supporting army to kill innocent people or the company that does halal business is built from profits from a business that is involved in making money from haram stuff like supporting western militaries. The western militaries are involved in killing innocent people. can we still work in that company?
and i have another additional question:
Can I write about my internship in fauji fertilizer to show experience in my Cv for my job. I am asking this because it is linked to the Pakistan army. They may be involved in activities that are not beneficial for the people and the state. They may be involved in crimes also.
Thank you.
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The main and fundamental purpose of these agencies and institutions is not to kill innocent people or do something evil actually. They actually contribute to maintaining peace and eliminating threats, but during the process, they commit mistakes, misjudgments, and even crimes. The same happens with the police department and to some extent in every department. This does not invalidate the agency or the institute and nor working for them in general is haram unless you are asked to be involved in a particular act that is immoral. In such cases, there are precedents that the employees or the soldiers quit their jobs and even faced punishment.
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Thank you for your answers. i want to clarify the following points.
1. Is this for all militaries or just for pakistani military, as I am in a western country.
2. Secondly, by your answers I have deduced that i can work in any engineering company, even if it provides extensive direct services to a western military. As long as I am not involved at all in that particular project even if everyone else in my office is, I can work in that company.
Regards,
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Sorry for the above message. please ignore that, I missed a point in that .
Thank you for your answers. i want to clarify the following points.
1. Is this for all militaries or just for pakistani military, as I am in a western country.
2. Secondly, by your answers I have deduced that I can work in any engineering company, even if it provides extensive direct services to a western military. As long as I am not involved at all in that particular project even if everyone else in my office is, I can work in that company.
3. Is it haram to work for an engineering company that generally offers careers to military veterans of western militaries apart from the direct engineering services they provide to these militaries. they really boast about them on their websites and support them in many ways and offer them jobs. Alot of big engineering companies do this.
Regards,
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1. It is for all in principle.
2. Yes you can.
3. Not haram when 1 is not haram.
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