1st September 2021
Question: I wanted to ask if working in an Amazon warehouse would be permissible as I could be potentially sorting and packing deliveries that have Harām items in them.
الجواب حامداً و مصلياً
In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer
In reference to your query, working in an Amazon warehouse sorting out packages of both Halāl and Harām does not render your income Harām. This is based on a similitude case where Imām Abu Hanīfah rahimahullah permitted a Muslim to charge remuneration from a dhimmi (non-Muslim residing in a Muslim country governed by Islamic law) to carry his alcohol for him. He argued that the burden of sin is connected with the drinker due to his own actions. The act of carrying alcohol itself is not the cause of the sin because his job is providing a service. Contrarily, his two eminent students; Imām Abu Yusuf rahimahullah and Imām Muhammad rahimahullah disproved of charging remuneration of carrying alcohol due to the explicit Hadīth where the Messenger of Allāh sallallahu alayhi wasallam cursed ten things related to alcohol amongst them being its carrier. Imām Abu Hanīfah rahimahullah explains that the curse applies to the individual carrying it with the intention of committing a sin. The carrier in this case is merely charging for his services. Moreover, it is possible that the owner may use it for reasons other than drinking i.e. converting to vinegar etc.[1]
Imām Abu Hanīfah’s rahimahullah underlying rationale was that the transaction should be based on the service one is providing. If the service itself is Halāl then his income cannot be rendered unlawful altogether. He doesn’t share in the burden of the owner’s discretionary sinful act as it was his choice to engage in Harām. The Messenger of Allāh sallallahu alayhi wasallam cursing the one carrying alcohol referred to those serving alcohol with the intention sin or partaking in the sin. He becomes cursed due to sharing the burden of sin in such a case.
This was the case of alcohol itself. As for you working in the amazon warehouse where packaging items; lawful or unlawful is part of your job, you are being paid for your own services. The same applies to delivery services as well. The burden of sin lies with the owner which you have no connection with. So, in principle, it is still permissible for you to work there and your income will not be rendered unlawful. This is from the Islamic legal standpoint but for personal piety, you may choose to avoid it if you so wish.
[Allãh Knows Best]
Written and researched by (Mufti) Abdul Waheed
Answer Attested by Shaykh Mufti Saiful Islam
JKN Fatawa Department
[1] Durrul Mukhtar wa Raddul Muhtar Kitab al-Hadhr wal Ibahat, Bab Istibra wa Ghairihi, p. 562 vol 9
(وَ) جَازَ تَعْمِيرُ كَنِيسَةٍ وَ (حَمْلُ خَمْرِ ذِمِّيٍّ) بِنَفْسِهِ أَوْ دَابَّتِهِ (بِأَجْرٍ) لَا عَصْرُهَا لِقِيَامِ الْمَعْصِيَةِ بِعَيْنِهِ.
(قَوْلُهُ وَحَمْلُ خَمْرِ ذِمِّيٍّ) قَالَ الزَّيْلَعِيُّ: وَهَذَا عِنْدَهُ وَقَالَا هُوَ مَكْرُوهٌ ” لِأَنَّهُ – عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ – «لَعَنَ فِي الْخَمْرِ عَشَرَةً وَعَدَّ مِنْهَا حَامِلَهَا» وَلَهُ أَنَّ الْإِجَارَةَ عَلَى الْحَمْلِ وَهُوَ لَيْسَ بِمَعْصِيَةٍ، وَلَا سَبَبَ لَهَا وَإِنَّمَا تَحْصُلُ الْمَعْصِيَةُ بِفِعْلِ فَاعِلٍ مُخْتَارٍ، وَلَيْسَ الشُّرْبُ مِنْ ضَرُورَاتِ الْحَمْلِ، لِأَنَّ حَمْلَهَا قَدْ يَكُونُ لِلْإِرَاقَةِ أَوْ لِلتَّخْلِيلِ، فَصَارَ كَمَا إذَا اسْتَأْجَرَهُ لِعَصْرِ الْعِنَبِ أَوْ قَطْعِهِ وَالْحَدِيثُ مَحْمُولٌ عَلَى الْحَمْلِ الْمَقْرُونِ بِقَصْدِ الْمَعْصِيَةِ اهـ زَادَ فِي النِّهَايَةِ وَهَذَا قِيَاسٌ وَقَوْلُهُمَا اسْتِحْسَانٌ، ثُمَّ قَالَ الزَّيْلَعِيُّ: وَعَلَى هَذَا الْخِلَافِ لَوْ آجَرَهُ دَابَّةً لِيَنْقُلَ عَلَيْهَا الْخَمْرَ أَوْ آجَرَهُ نَفْسَهُ لِيَرْعَى لَهُ الْخَنَازِيرَ يَطِيبُ لَهُ الْأَجْرُ عِنْدَهُ وَعِنْدَهُمَا يُكْرَهُ.
Bahr Raiq Kitabūl Karahiyyat, p. 372 vol 8
[حَمْلُ خَمْرِ الذِّمِّيِّ بِأَجْرٍ]
قَالَ: – رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى – (وَحَمْلُ خَمْرِ الذِّمِّيِّ بِأَجْرٍ) يَعْنِي جَازَ ذَلِكَ وَهَذَا عِنْدَ الْإِمَامِ وَقَالَا يُكْرَهُ لِأَنَّهُ – عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ – «لَعَنَ فِي الْخَمْرِ عَشَرَةً وَعَدَّ مِنْهَا حَامِلَهَا» وَلَهُ أَنَّ الْإِجَارَةَ عَلَى الْحَمْلِ وَهُوَ لَيْسَ بِمَعْصِيَةٍ وَإِنَّمَا الْمَعْصِيَةُ بِفِعْلِ فَاعِلٍ مُخْتَارٍ فَصَارَ كَمَنْ اسْتَأْجَرَهُ لِعَصْرِ خَمْرِ الْعِنَبِ وَقَطْفِهِ، وَالْحَدِيثُ يُحْمَلُ عَلَى الْحَمْلِ الْمَقْرُونِ بِقَصْدِ الْمَعْصِيَةِ وَعَلَى هَذَا الْخِلَافِ إذَا أَجَّرَ دَابَّةً لِيَحْمِلَ عَلَيْهَا الْخَمْرَ أَوْ نَفْسَهُ لِيَرْعَى لَهُ الْخَنَازِيرَ فَإِنَّهُ يَطِيبُ لَهُ الْأَجْرُ عِنْدَهُ وَعِنْدَهُمَا يُكْرَهُ وَفِي التَّتَارْخَانِيَّة: وَلَوْ أَجَّرَ الْمُسْلِمُ نَفْسَهُ لِذِمِّيٍّ لِيَعْمَلَ فِي الْكَنِيسَةِ فَلَا بَأْسَ بِهِ وَفِي الذَّخِيرَةِ إذَا دَخَلَ يَهُودِيٌّ الْحَمَّامَ هَلْ يُبَاحُ لِلْخَادِمِ الْمُسْلِمِ أَنْ يَخْدُمَهُ قَالَ: إنْ خَدَمَهُ طَمَعًا فِي فُلُوسِهِ فَلَا بَأْسَ بِهِ وَإِنْ خَدَمَهُ تَعْظِيمًا لَهُ يُنْظَرُ إنْ فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ لِيُمِيلَ قَلْبَهُ إلَى الْإِسْلَامِ فَلَا بَأْسَ بِهِ وَإِنْ فَعَلَهُ تَعْظِيمًا لَهُ كُرِهَ ذَلِكَ وَعَلَى هَذَا إذَا دَخَلَ ذِمِّيٌّ عَلَى مُسْلِمٍ فَقَامَ لَهُ طَمَعًا فِي إسْلَامِهِ فَلَا بَأْسَ بِهِ وَإِنْ قَامَ لَهُ تَعْظِيمًا لَهُ كُرِهَ لَهُ ذَلِكَ.