Question:
As you know, the
whole of our economy is based on interest these days. In this situation,
is it allowable for young graduate to work for a bank, considering the
fact that banks also provide services other than loans?
Answer:
A bank employee can avoid being involved in interest earning transactions
and projects only if his job is confined to what may be described as the
ancillary services of a bank as remitting money and collection of bills.
If your employer can guarantee
that your role in a bank will be confined to such areas as are unrelated
to interest earning activities, then one might consider the justification
you are deliberating on as viable. However, I do not think such a role
could be had in a bank* save
at the cost of an employee’s career development. So, unless you are ready
to work as a clerk or an officer of the lowest rank in the operations department
of a bank for the rest of your life, the idea that you can avoid being
involved in taking interest by confining yourself to certain ancillary
services in a bank does not seem to be a very plausible one.
There is no doubt that the
whole economy is based on interest and that the existing circumstances
might be regarded as extenuating in many cases. However, there is a difference
between ‘taking’ interest and ‘giving’ interest. The Qur’an has specifically
prohibited the former (see the Qur’an 2:270 and 3:130; ‘devouring’ interest
has been forbidden). ‘Giving’ interest (for example when one takes a loan)
is prohibited when it virtually amounts to co-operating with ‘the devourer’
of interest (that is one who lends on interest). (See the Qur’an 5:2)
The argument that in the prevailing
situation, ‘the giver’ of interest (the borrower) usually faces such problems
in setting up and running a business that he has no recourse but to take
the loan seems to be reasonable in many cases. However, there seems to
be very little ground for accepting the same excuse from the ‘the devourer’.
Although exceptions might be
there, a bank job usually amounts to virtual co-operation with ‘the devourer’
of interest. Therefore, a Muslim should try to look for jobs in areas other
than banking, which fortunately are not as scarce as is generally imagined.
However, if someone feels that he has some reasonable, personal excuse
for working with a bank -- an excuse he can present to God on the Day of
judgement --, it might be expected that he will be forgiven by the All-Knowing
and Oft-Forgiving.
Finally, we should remember
that all our planning and effort can fail us. In life, there are no absolute
guarantees. The only absolute guarantee life affords us is that the efforts
and sacrifices we make for Allah shall not go waste in the Hereafter and
that Allah, Who is our Sustainer -- One Who can make little plenty and
plenty little even in this worldly life of ours -- is always well-aware
of our problems and woes: He knows -- and He cares. If we face difficulties
for His sake, He will be with us; He will not abandon us, for He is the
best of friends. He never betrays -- neither His friends nor His enemies
--, and ultimately everything is in His hands.
|