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Q&A · New Muslim

My job involves alcohol, pork, or interest — do I have to quit right away?

Income whose substance is forbidden is not permissible: Allah calls khamr an abomination of Shayṭān's handiwork and commands that we shun it (Quran 5:90), and the Prophet ﷺ cursed wine from ten angles — including the one who sells it, the one who buys it and the one who carries it — and he cursed "the accepter of interest and its payer, and the one who records it, and the two witnesses," saying, "They are all equal." So directly selling or serving alcohol and pork, or drawing up and processing interest-based contracts, must be left, and you should begin looking for lawful work immediately rather than waiting for a perfect replacement. Scholars have distinguished peripheral, non-contributing roles — for example a cashier in a general supermarket that occasionally rings up such items, or an IT or cleaning role in a bank — with some permitting them out of need and others advising avoidance, so this is a legitimate difference of opinion and worth asking a knowledgeable scholar about your exact duties. Trust Allah's promise: whoever fears Allah, He prepares a way out for him and provides for him from sources he never could imagine (Quran 65:2–3).

Evidence — the daleel
Quran 5:90Sahih Muslim 1598 ṢaḥīḥSunan Ibn Majah 3380Quran 65:2-3
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Informational, not a personal fatwa. Consult a qualified scholar for rulings on your situation.

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