Bank Job


Question

I have done MBA and now I plan to join a bank. Someone told me that working in a bank is haram in our religion Islam. I wonder if you could explain whether it is haram or halal. Can I do this job?

Answer

In principle the rule is that we should not get involved in an interest based financial transaction and we should not be doing something that facilitates such transactions.

However, the fact is that unfortunately most of us are living in an interest based world and in such world, many jobs are directly or indirectly associated with an interest based organisation.
In such situation some times it can become quite difficult to avoid all these jobs while trying to have a life with dignity that is financially healthy and secure. Every human being deserves to have security (including financial security) and dignity in his life.

Accordingly if you find that in order to have these essential aspects of your life, you have no option but to take a job that is based on an interest based organisation then you can be flexible about it and take it, with the view that as soon as you find a better alternative (i.e. a job with no involvement in interest) you will go for it.

Answered by: Farhad Shafti

Date: 2015-03-21