Earning and Income کمائی اور آمدنی

Allah commands: 'O mankind, eat from whatever is on earth that is lawful and good' (2:168), and 'When the prayer is finished, disperse in the land and seek the bounty of Allah' (62:10). Work is honoured in Islam. The Prophet ﷺ said: 'No one has ever eaten better food than what he eats from the work of his own hands, and the Prophet of Allah Dawud used to eat from the work of his hands' (Bukhari 2072). Begging without need is discouraged, while supporting oneself and one's family is a duty and a charity.

Halal income is a condition for accepted worship. In the hadith of Muslim 1015, the Prophet ﷺ described a traveller with dishevelled hair raising his hands to the sky saying 'O Lord, O Lord', while his food, drink and clothing are haram and he was nourished by haram: 'How can he be answered?' He also warned: 'A time will come when people will not care whether what they take is lawful or unlawful' (Bukhari 2059).

Some trades are forbidden in themselves: selling alcohol, pork, carrion and idols (Bukhari 2236, Muslim 1581); earnings of prostitution and fortune-telling (Bukhari 2237, Muslim 1567); interest-based lending; gambling businesses; producing or selling pornography; and any work that directly helps oppression or harms people. Earning through theft, fraud, embezzlement or bribery is haram. The Prophet ﷺ cursed the one who gives a bribe and the one who takes it (Abu Dawud 3580, Tirmidhi 1337, sahih). Allah says: 'Do not consume one another's wealth unjustly' (4:29).

Honesty in trade is essential. The Prophet ﷺ passed by a pile of food, put his hand inside and found it wet underneath. He said: 'Why did you not put it on top so people could see it? Whoever cheats us is not one of us' (Muslim 102). Hiding defects, false advertising and misrepresenting quality all fall under this warning.

Islam protects the rights of workers and employers alike. The Prophet ﷺ said: 'Give the worker his wage before his sweat dries' (Ibn Majah 2443, sahih by al-Albani), and in a hadith qudsi Allah declares Himself the opponent of one who hires a worker, takes full work from him and does not pay him (Bukhari 2227). Employees, in turn, must fulfil their contracts (5:1), work honestly during paid hours, and not misuse company property or time.

If a job is mixed, with a mostly halal core and a small haram element, scholars generally advise avoiding direct participation in the haram part and seeking a cleaner alternative where possible. Wealth that was earned through haram must be dealt with through repentance and, where possible, returning it to its owners or giving it away without expecting reward.