Q: I have a question that needs to be answered and it is bothering me so much.
1. I have read that there is a hadith which says having a halaal job is fardh, but I have read some say it is not saheeh? (Kindly clarify this to me) If so, then it is not fardh to find a halaal job?
2. I have read someone (maybe a sahaabi, taabi’ee, Imam etc.) said: “Working for a living and helping the poor with his earning is better than praying (worshipping) all day/night without working for a living”. Kindly give the name of that person who said this if it is authentic?
3. Once it is a fardh act, we must exert effort to do it and find a way to achieve it. If someone is procrastinating in doing a fardh act (which he fails
to do) he commits a major sin right?
4. Continuation to 3. If finding a halaal job is fardh, then it is fardh on a person to exert effort to find ways to achieve it right?
5. And whenever he intentionally stalls in achieving it (halaal job) he commits a major sin right?
6. And in my case, I am currently in college taking a course in allied medicine (my choice for a halaal job) and in my 3rd year (2 years to go to
graduate). I sometimes feel lazy and procrastinate in studying (I sometimes do not study) which places me in a brink of failing (stalling to graduate and
achieving a halaal job). In this case, did I commit a major sin?
7. Also if a person does not do this fardh command (have a halaal job) and dies, does he have the same punishment like those people that do not do
other fardhs (salaah, zakaah, saum, haj etc)?
8. If someone decides not to work, is it sufficient to just place full trust in Allah (tawakkul) that He will provide him and his ageing parents food/drink
everyday?
9. And lastly, the Ahlus Sunnah ulama all agree that if someone doesn’t consider the kalimah, 5 prayers, zakaat, Ramadhaan, Saum and hajj as fardh, he becomes a murtad(correct me if i’m wrong). Likewise if someone were to deny or don’t believe that having a halaal job is fardh, does he become a kafir?
A:
1. It is not fardh for the one who already has wealth to see to his needs.
2. This is with reference to that person who will ask or beg others for assistance.
3 – 4. If he is neglecting any duty or anyone that he is responsible for then he is committing a sin.
5 – 6. This is not a major sin. Stalling and delaying namaaz and being in a wrong environment like a university is a major sin,
7. If his needs are met out in spite of him not being in a job then he is not sinful.
8. If he has that level of trust in Allah Ta`ala that he will not be affected in the least for his provisions not coming on time and his parents and dependants also have the same level of tawakkul and further he has no other obligations towards his creditors etc., it will be permissible for him,
9. As explained above.
And Allah Ta’ala (الله تعالى) knows best.
Answered by:
Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)