Question Summary:
I know that betting is forbidden in Islam. But is working on a betting company as a software engineer is forbidden or bad as well? Last week I had an interview with a company, they are betting company and looking for a software engineer. And I am worried that if I work

Question Detail:

Salam,

I have two job related questions. They are almost same.

Question1:
 
I know that betting is forbidden in Islam. But is working on a betting company as a software engineer is forbidden or bad as well? Last week I had an interview with a company, they are betting company and looking for a software engineer. And I am worried that if I work for such company then will it be violation of any rule of Islam, or not violating of rule but not suggested? Here the hiring company is a betting company.

Question2:
I also saw another job advertisement, the advertising company does not do betting, but they develope software for betting company. Is working for such company is bad as well? Here the company who will hire me is not betting company like question1.

Here I want to mention that -

1) I do not do betting and will not do any betting.
2) I already have a job (I mean, its not that I am badly in need of a job, but I am in ineed of a job).

Thanks a lot for your such cooperation and I pray to Allah for you for providing such services.

Allah Hafez.

Jahid

Answer :

Assalāmu `alaikum Warahmatullāhi Wabrakatuh,
1.      At the outset we commend you for your query of earning a halal income. This stems from your deep conscious of Iman. You believe in Allah and His Rasul salallahu alayhi wasallam and Shariah.  You are fully conscious of following the laws of Shariah. If you did not bother of Shariah and earning a halal income, you would never have asked this query.
Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam said,
طَلَبُ كَسْبِ الْحَلَالِ فَرِيضَةٌ بَعْدَ الْفَرِيضَةِ
Earning of Halal income is an obligation beyond other obligations.
(Shu‛bul Imān lil bayhaqi #8367 , 11/175)
We make dya that Allah put barakah in your income, Ameen
Reverting to your query,
Betting is haram (completely prohibited). This is expressly prohibited in the Quran.
Allah says,
يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْخَمْرِ وَالْمَيْسِرِ قُلْ فِيهِمَا إِثْمٌ كَبِيرٌ وَمَنَافِعُ لِلنَّاسِ وَإِثْمُهُمَا أَكْبَرُ مِنْ نَفْعِهِمَا
They ask you regarding wine and gambling; Say in them both is great sin and (although)
there is (some) benefit (in them) for the people but their sin is greater than their benefit.
(Qur’an 2:219)
There are two angles in working for a betting company.
·        Developing a software
·        Remuneration
 
If the software will be designed for the specific use of gambling, that is directly assisting in sin.
(Jawāhirul Fiqh, Risālah I῾ānah ῾alal Ma῾siyyah)
 
Allah Ta’ala says,
وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْإِثْمِ
And do not assist in sin
(Qur’an 5:2)
 
If the software is not specifically designed for betting but has dual or multiple purpose and could be used for other permissible things, then generally developing such a software will not be prohibited. However, it is obvious that the betting company will use such software for betting purposes, hence it will not be permissible.
Besides, the issue of developing the software for the gambling company, your salary will be from haram source. That compounds the prohibition.
2.      In the second query, you will not be working for a betting company but you will develop a software for a betting company. That too will be regarded as assisting in sin and prohibited.
And Allah Ta'āla Knows Best,
Muftī Ebrahim Desai
Daruliftaa
35 Candella Rd, Durban, South Africa
www.daruliftaa.net