Question Summary:
What is the ruling of working for a software firm that provides software service to clients dealing in interest?

Question Detail:

 
Recently I have joined a software firm. Software firms generally provides software service to any kind of clients like University, Business Enterprise, Banks etc. It also develops software/websites for clients like web magazine publisher and many more.CurrentlyI am working with a client which provide platform for peer to peer lending system which includes interest transactions. Peer to Peer (P2P) system is one in which any person of some selected country can apply for loan and the other persons can lend money for the borrower. borrower returns the money with interest. The interest is distributed over the lenders. The Company (for which my software firms develop software) claims service fees both from lenders and borrowers. Out of several fees some are like x% of the interest and some are fixed value like ($1).Moreover my software firm/recruiter works with around 10-12 clients off which 10 software are valid according to Shariah Law but 2 software are related to riba/interest or other kind of business which are not valid according to Islam.My questions1. if my income is halal or not?2. if working in such company (which has some halal and some haraam income) is valid or not.3. if question-2 is valid, then if working with such projects (like my current project) is valid or not?4. if it is not haram then, what is the state of income from taqwa point of view?

Answer :

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
There are 2 issues in your query:
1)     Serving a Peer 2 Peer system
2)     The income of the software firm
It is not permissible to devise a Peer 2 Peer system.
Almighty Allah Ta’ala says:
ولا تعاونوا على الإثم والعدوان
And do not assist each other in sin and aggression ^[[1]]
The Fuqahaa have ruled that if an item is used only for a sinful purpose and cannot be useful for anything else, it is not permissible to be involved in such a project as this will be ‘assisting in sin’. ^[[2]][[3]]
 
If an item can be used for dual or multiple purposes, some of which are permissible and others not permissible, then one may be involved in such a project. In this situation, he will NOT be considered ‘assisting in a sin’ as the user himself will be responsible for the sin. ^{[[4]][[5]][[6]]}
 
Accordingly, creating the software for the Peer 2 Peer system as you have explained will be impermissible. ^[[7]][[8]] You should request your company to excuse you from this project.
 
The Peer 2 Peer Company would pay the software firm a sum of money for its services. You state that the majority of the clients of the software company are Shari’ah compliant; it therefore appears that the majority of the income of the company will also be halal.
 
This is apart from the principle as to whether the income from the non-Shari’ah compliant software is halal or haraam for non-Muslim owners. ^[[9]^{][[10]][[11]] [[12]]} 
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Maaz Chati
Student Darul Iftaa
Blackburn, Engand, UK 
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desa