Job assignment involves calculating interest

14-2-2015 | IslamWeb

Question:

Assalamu Alaikum WRWB respected Mufti, I have been working in a Hospital as an Analyst Programmer, supporting and developing different applications that do not require interest; however, there's one application for Health Insurance which has interest calculation and was written by somebody else but I have been supporting the users of that application for last 8 years. Recently, I was asked by the management to produce a report of total outstandings which should include the interest as well. The report, application produces and written by somebody else, is not giving correct figures. Therefore, I have been asked to recalculate the outstanding amount along with the recalculation of penalties. My quest is: in this case when my job normally does not require me to write interest in other applications but due to some problems in this existing system I have been asked to recalculate it, what should I do? I don't have any other job, I'm working abroad and I have 10 dependents (my family, parents, and my died brothers family) Kindly help me answer this question. May Allah give you reward Ma'a Salama

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

It is impermissible for you to recalculate the usurious interests, as requested of you, and you must decline to carry out that task. However, if your company does not accept your refusal and you are in dire need for retaining this job to earn a living and provide for yourself and your dependents and cannot find another permissible job, then there is no harm in carrying out this task.

For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 84087.

Allaah Knows best.