Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
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| amatullah |
| 06/24/01 at 13:12:53 |
| Bismillah and salam, I am floored!!! I just found out that what I thought was mashbooh about my husband's job is in fact haram by searching it in islam q&a. How do I tell him, what should we do? astaghfiru Allah. I don't know if he can look for something else at the moment, and I dont know of a job that has the same flexibility since he is also going to school. He is driving a cab, but for the most part, you get called in on a radio to a place and you drive them, wherever they want including the disco and all the liquor store. He is masha'Allah and hemdulilah very pious, I fear if I tell him it will only cause a big problem at the moment. Should I wait till summer course is over at least? But all the food everything we buy is icky now :( |
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| bhaloo |
| 06/24/01 at 18:52:54 |
| slm What did the fatwa say, and does it apply to your situation directly? I see many Muslims as Taxi drivers. |
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| amatullah |
| 06/24/01 at 20:35:58 |
| Bismillah and salam, Yes perhaps I did misunderstand. Please let me know what you think. The only part he did say along time ago he find it hard to pick and choose he just goes to where they tell him and then they get in the car and tell him where they wan to go. If he refuses them, the company probably won't want him nomore. So if he must leave this line of work, what is an alternative if you're studying? and when should I tell him. Here are the two fatwas: Question: Assalaamu 'Alaykum A brother is a taxi driver and faces some difficulties for which he requires sincere advice. He says that often times a passenger will get in the vehicle and after a portion of the journey asks him to stop at the liquor store so he can pick up his booze. Also, some people may require him to take them to very undesirable places such as night clubs or places of that sort. Is it permissible to do a job that requires such things? Answer: Praise be to Allaah. We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen: one of our brothers in Canada is working as a taxi driver, and says that often, after taking on a passenger and commencing the journey, the passenger asks him to stop near a liquor store so that he can buy something from there. Some passengers also ask him to take them to places such as nightclubs. Is it permissible for him to work in this occupation or to accept these fares? The shaykh, may Allaah preserve him, replied as follows: No, it is not permissible for him to stop at the liquor store for his passenger to buy some, and it is not permissible for him to take anyone to forbidden clubs, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “… Help you one another in al-birr and al-taqwa (virtue, righteousness and piety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression…” [al-Maa’idah 5:2]. And Allaah knows best. Question: My question to you is that i am a student living in australia i also drive cabs part time i want to ask you brother that some times we have to leave passengers to bars,clubs,pubs,and some times to brothels and some times we have to pick them up also when we get a job from there is it haraam to do so? because we do not tell them to go there and we cannot refuse to take them if they ask us to take them there because of the taxi cab laws as you would know people catch cabs in the western world when they are going to drink or come back from home.what should the muslim cab drivers do so in this situation? Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Undoubtedly this is considered to be co-operating in sin and transgression. We advise you not to take these people to brothels, places or corruption and bars. You will find other people. This applies whether you are taking them from these places or to them. Whoever fears Allaah and keeps his duty towards Him (taqwa), Allaah will grant him a way out, so look for other passengers from other places. If it so happens that you take on these passengers and you did not know that this is where they were headed, then we do not say that the fare is haraam for you, because it is compensation for your efforts, or for the use of your car. Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Jibreen. If you think that you are obliged to so something haraam in your work, then look for other work. We ask Allaah to make your provision halaal. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad |
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| The-Doctor |
| 06/24/01 at 22:40:55 |
| [slm] Sister i recommend you speak to one of the scholars, if you like I can possibly have the question directed to a panel of scholars. But I think it would be better for you or your husband to speak to them and explain your situation thoroughly. I hate to say this, but I do not like islam-qa when it comes to issues like these, because things like this are not clear cut wa Allahu A3laam. I mean for general fiqh type questions I think it is a good resource, otherwise if one has needs an answer for an issue they would seek out a scholar or scholars and explain the situation to them. Wa Allahu A3laam |
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| jannah |
| 06/24/01 at 22:56:17 |
| I agree with the-doctor. A fatwa like this does not take into account a person's specific circumstances. Sometimes the only job some new immigrants have to live is driving taxi's. If your husband can move to another job it would be better for him to do so of course, but if it means eating or not eating a scholar should be able to weigh the harm versus the benefit. |
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| Spring |
| 06/25/01 at 08:47:50 |
| [slm] Websites such as Islam-q&a are really for those people who have access to no other scholars. If you have a local scholar available, preferably someone who knows the full circumstances in the country where you live etc, it would be a lot better for you to speak to him, explaining the the whole situation. Allah hu 'alam. |
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| Anonymous |
| 06/25/01 at 20:11:22 |
| Salam'alaykum, What is clearly haram is haram in all circumtances. To comment on Doctor and Jannah's posts, I never heard of a specific situation where it is okay to drive someone to a night club, or for a man and woman to be alone in a car. Allahu'alam. Amatullah: I think you should not wait to tell your husband. He's the one who will make a decision concerning this. Allah doesn't take into account our sins when we do them unknowingly, but He may do it when we sin knowingly. Also, I would like to warn by brothers and sisters about a behavior that is becoming widespread among the muslims: it is that when a scholar says something that they don't like, many muslims will keep asking other scholars and imams until one of them will finally say what they want to hear. This is following your own desires, and it can lead to serious problems in your deen. Just be careful. |
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| jannah |
| 06/25/01 at 20:33:44 |
| [slm] [quote]What is clearly haram is haram in all circumtances.[/quote] Uh that is an interesting statement but does not go with Islamic law. Islamic law does change with extreme circumstances. If Islam is for all times, all places and all peoples it is not possible to have everything rigidly fixed. ie we all know the eating pig in the desert example.. if in this case the benefit (surviving) versus harm (dying in the desert) of course a scholar would rule using the fiqhi law of benefit over harm. there are so many examples from the time of the khulafa ar rashidoon that show how they sometimes needed to change the law to fit the circumstances.. ie in a time of extreme drought/poverty the law for stealing was modified. A great book on this issue is Ethics of Disagreement in Islam by Taha Jabir Alwani. Again, you and I are not qualified enough to do this harm versus benefit versus the textual evidence and analysis per Islamic law, but this can be established by those qualified. |
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| Anonymous |
| 06/26/01 at 23:08:18 |
| Salam'alaykum, "Islamic law does change with extreme circumstances". Yes, I know that very well. But we must be careful with the word "extreme"; it doesn't seem that muslim men in north America are obliged to drive taxis because they are in an "extreme" situation. We should also keep in mind the verse that says that whoever is careful of his duty to Allah, Allah will provide for him through means he never expected. Wassalam |
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| Anonymous |
| 06/29/01 at 12:04:57 |
| I see alot of decicated brothers who would rebuke you for not having a beard, or matters as such, drive taxis without questioning themselves about it. I know some who work at night and especially friday and saturday nights because on those days if the weather is good, people go out to clubs, bars and dates. I do not speak from what I have heard, but from my own experience. I used to drive a taxi, and I really regret that I did. How is it that I was blind to the fact that this job constantly took me to places normal people would never imagine existed. With all honesty, I knew where night life took place, I knew where to find the prostitutes in the city and I knew where drugs were sold. And not that I looked for them, but that by nature, that was the reality of the job, rubbing shoulders with the lowest of the society, morally and financially. Often the destitute, depressed, ill mannered,drug trafficking, fun seeking and sex driven, obscure form the rest of the society, rode and conversed with me in my cab. Dare tell me that I was not affected. The blacksmith will burn you with his fire or in the least defile you with his smoke. I do not deny that some of the passengers are genuine travellers, or stranded individuals in need. However it came to me that the core of the people I drove around were people whose licence was taken away because of drinking, or are using me to avoid their licence being taken away because of driving drunk. Friends dont let frinds drive. For the city, I was the best friend. And even most of the people I drove to the restaurants, were going there to have dinner, drinking included. Alcohol is what keeps the restaurants running here in the west. And what is more serious, especially for driving at night in big cities, is the fact that I as a taxi driver, was the vehicle for transporting the drug dealer, who having been stripped of his licence to drive, or in hiding because of having broken the law. I was his perfect mode of transportantion because I kept quiet, and was indifferent as he sold drugs in my cab. At the end of the day, most of the cash I had were one dollar bills, that I collected in the heart of the city. These were the bills taken from, the homeless, drug addicted, half awake desparate souls who begged for the dollars, stole goods and sold them for afew bucks and such to support their addiction. This was my livelihood. I am sorry that I am painting a grim picture of what is considered normal and decent. I used to be the nice driver who would not stop for a brother(black man) in the city for fear that he may be a drug dealer. I was known for being the one who would not drive a cab because it had a billboard that advertised beer or cigarettes. I used to be be the driver that would tell a customer to literally get out of my cab after he revealed to me that he wanted me to take him to a strip club. Despite all that, I was fighting a loose battle. Because my next bell would be to pick a passanger form a bar. I would be instructed to go inside and ask for Ron. The drunk would use profanity in their language, or in the worst case vomit in the car. The smell in my cab was no different form the one in a pub. And the back seat of my cab is something I am ashamed of talking about. Because there acts of indicency took place and I was too weak to say do not do that as they kissed. And they gossipped and talked about each other in a manner that really tarnished the heart and I was quiet. I wish I was polished enough to really write about my experience. I was foolish enough to take the most dangerous job in America. And yes I was an immigrant. But little did I know that I worked that long with no benefit and even a $10 dollars an hour job would give me the same amount of money if I worked that long with benefits and none of the risks. Yet the core of the problem I have realised is not that I was doing it for survival, but because I loved to have money, fast cash with little reflection. I needed no fatwa, nor religous advise to see the reality of the matter and gotten out of it. I hope any sincere muslim driving a cab will reflect upon the nature of his job and do the right thing. |
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| Madani |
| 06/29/01 at 18:09:44 |
| Ma sha Allah, brother that was a very informative account that you gave. Do you think it would be possible if a Taxi driver focused his business on the day rather then night, and worked in a certain area of town which was less likely to put him in a bad situation? On another side: A sister one asked one of the Ulumaa' regarding whether it was permissible to pass on Fatwa's that she heard from him. His answer was very interesting. He said, "If you understand the situation that you are being asked about and realize that there are no variables involved that may change the outcome of the Fatwa, then Yes you may pass it on." |
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| BroHanif |
| 06/29/01 at 20:07:44 |
| A.W.W. My two pence worth on the subjects is don't chuck your job in yet. Reason being is as follows: I'm employed by one of the largest IT consultancys in the UK and it means that I have to work for anyone and everyone, of course some slight discreation is allowed. So I may for one term conduct analysis and design for a brewery to implement an IT system another term at rolling out software to the bookies etc etc. My contract is with my IT consultancy and not with the brewerys or bookies. Being in an IT field it has its ups and downs but this is a general trend everywhere, you may be contracted out to work in any industry and that is part of the contract, otherwise you are told to go. Being a taxi driver is I think very similiar, the contract is with the radio office and not with the people and where they want to be driven. Of course you could swith shifts from night to morning but then you may have an effect on your income. If you were self employed then that is a different situation because your contract would then be with your immediate client and yourself no third party. How about if your husband had to take his clients somewhere, he always has Sheikh Sudais on, or a lecture in english on Islam. Or has flyers in the back of his car about Islam or where an Islamic talk is going to take place or have seats that are a bit abrasive in order for couples not to commit zinah in the back ? I know it sounds extreme but hey I believe every situation can be made slightly better. But if you think about, if these people who sit in the taxis are the dregs of society then they need every form of dawah towards the good. Otherwise who is going to give Dawah to these people ??? I know of a situation here in UK that people(non muslims) used to tell each other that if you go in a taxi go in the one where the man has a skullcap and a beard, because you know these guys are good and you wont get ripped off or asualted. Now isn't that dawah ? Your character is the greatest form of Dawah. Anyway the above is my thought, please understand your situation that it may not be the same as mine or the industry or my circumstances may not be on par with yours. As always consult a learned scholar and make sure that s/he fully understands your familys situation. Salaam Hanif |
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| Anonymous |
| 07/01/01 at 16:47:18 |
| Assalamu alaikum, I think Madani's advice is a good alternative. I know someone who drives during the day (5am - 5pm) and it is mostly people going to work/shopping center/school etc. Also, he does not work in the downtown core. That makes a big difference. Working as a taxi driver at night is also not a good idea for safety reasons too. I think working at night is more attractive because you can more money at that time especially on weekends, but lots of good reasons to not do it. I don't think men being alone in a car with a woman is reason to not drive a taxi. Then should we not have any muslim doctors because they shouldn't touch people of the opposite gender? I think this is similar. Allahu 'alam. |
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| Mona |
| 07/01/01 at 17:13:37 |
| Assalamu alaikum, Maybe working as an airport taxi driver would be another good alternative. wassalam |
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