Exerting extra effort at work is rewardable

19-12-2015 | IslamWeb

Question:

Assalaam alaykum. I have a question about working for large corporations. I work as a shelf stocker for a large american corp, and this is one of those corporations that I believe ship jobs overseas to impoverished countries and pay them lousy wages. Is working for a company like this haram? Also, I like to go above and beyond in my job by, for example, doing something that needs to be done without being asked, such as wiping dust off the shelves. Is it wrong to help them like this, is it putting oneself in a humilating position? I like putting effort in anything I do; it bothers me to see things halfway done.
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 ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

There is no harm in working for this company as long as the job assigned to you is lawful. The fact that the company ships workers overseas to impoverished countries and pays them low wages has nothing to do with your job.

There is also no harm in wiping the dust off the shelves and the like; this does not humiliate you at all. In fact, if you carried out these duties with the intention of doing your job exactly as required, then hopefully you shall be rewarded for that; the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said, "Verily, Allaah loves that when one of you does a job he perfects it." [At-Tabaraani]

Allaah knows best.

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