Using private car as taxi
17-3-2016 | IslamWeb
Question:
Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuhu. I will go straight to the point. At present, I am working abroad, and I recently bought a car and now want to earn extra so that is why I try to work as a private taxi with low charges compared to a real taxi. I try to serve people. My question is: is this income halal? If not, I have already earned some money this way, so what should I do? Thank you for your service. Best Regards.
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 ʻalayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
What you mentioned is a case of restricting a lawful matter. Scholars held that a ruler may restrict a lawful matter and must be obeyed in this regard if this restriction serves a public interest. This is in accordance with the Fiqh rule that states that 'The ruler's actions related to his people are based on public interest.' Tuhfat Al-Muhtaaj (a Shaafi'i book) reads, “The preponderant view is that the command of the ruler that does not serve a public interest does not have to be followed except in public, but the command that serves a public interest must be followed in public and in private.” If this is the case, then you do not have the right to violate the law in relation to what you mentioned.
As for the money that you have already earned, there is no harm in using it because you have earned it in return for a service that is lawful in itself. However, you should stop doing this in the future given the obligation to follow the state law that serves a clear public interest. And even if it were not to serve a clear public interest, the Muslim should not expose himself to potential humiliation by going against the law. The Prophet, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, said, “The believer should not humiliate himself.” People exclaimed, “How would he humiliate himself?” He, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, said, “By exposing himself to an affliction that he cannot endure.” [Ahmad, At-Tirmithi and Ibn Maajah]
Allaah knows best.