Answer
Wa `alaykum As-Salamu waRahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
In Islam, working elsewhere during a leave of absence from a government job is generally discouraged unless there is an urgent and exceptional need. Upholding contracts and promises is a fundamental Islamic principle, as emphasized in the Quran. Emergency situations, however, are judged based on their severity, allowing limited exceptions.
Responding to your question, Dr. Salah Al-Sawi, President of the Shari`ah Academy and the Secretary General for the Assembly of Muslim Jurists in America, states:
We don’t see working without government’s knowledge as an option for you as a part of fulfilling the contracts of security that official documents carry such as entrance visas and residency cards and the likes.
We are a nation that values promises and agreements. Almighty Allah says in the Quran: “Oh you who have faith! Fulfill your contracts…” (Al-Ma`idah 5:1)
But the only exception would be if a particular urgent need forces you to work without government’s knowledge, therein the emergencies are assessed according to their magnitude.
See the fatwas below for further clarification:
- Can Muslim Women Work in Media?
- Working in Art Paintings and Graphics: Allowed?
- Working for a Company of Interest-based Finance: OK?
- Is Working a Security Job if Owner Sells Forbidden Items Haram?
- Is Working as Software Engineer in Banks Allowed in Islam?
- Working for Non-Islamic Banks: Permissible?
- Is It Permissible to Work in Real Estate Valuation?
- Can Husband Prevent Wife From Working?
- Does Working Woman Have to Share in the Household Expenses?
- Are Women Allowed to Work in Islam?
- Can Muslim Women Work at Beauty Salon?
- Can Men and Women Work Together in Islam?
- Working as a Controller in a Taxi Company: Permissible?
- What Does Islam Say about Housework?
Allah Almighty knows best.
Editor’s note: This fatwa is from Ask the Scholar’s archive and was originally published at an earlier date.