Question Summary:
1) Can I become a pilot … 2) Should I pay zakat for the money I save for pilot?

Question Detail:

as salam alaikum
iam a 16 year old male

1. can i become an airline pilot.....because pilots have to interact with female air-hostess on duty...and islam doesnot allow men to look at strange women....and pilots travel from one place to other so which country salah are they supposed to follow.....and they might miss many salah when in flight....so is it permissible to become a pilot...

2. I intend to complete my engineering and then work for a few years and save money and then go for pilot training....so my question...should I pay zakat for the money I save for pilot training.....

Answer :

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
 
1.       When a Muslim chooses a career for life, he should do so according to his Islamic beliefs and values. It is required of a Muslim to maintain his Islamic beliefs and practices in all aspects of his life. If a person is a husband, he is a Muslim. If he is a father, he is a Muslim. If he is a doctor or a lawyer or an engineer, he is a Muslim. All those aspects of life should be governed by Islamic values and practices.
 
A career in life is not just a means of income; it is also executing the laws of Sharia in that career. A person is first a muslim before being a doctor or a lawyer or an engineer. The more a person is conscious of his deen and Imaan, the more the values of deen and Imaan will be alive in his life, irrespective of his carrier. There is no doubt that a carrier has an influence on a person’s thinking and habits. The thinking and conduct of a person in one environment is different from a person in a different environment. If a person feels that a particular carrier will lead him to compromise on his beliefs and practices, then he should not adopt that carrier. That carrier is only as long as one’s life. One requires his Deen and practices beyond that, in the Qabr and the hereafter before the court of Allah.
 
In principle, one can become a pilot. However, that carrier is too demanding. It will lead to compromising in one’s family time. Rasulullah (SALALLAHY ALAYHIWASALLAM) said, “Journeying is a piece from Hell”. It prevents a person from sleeping, food etc. If a pilot is a husband, very often he is away from his wife. If he is a father, he will be require to be away from his children. His entire family life is disturbed. Similarly the environment a pilot works in is challenging on ones Nafs. Working with air hostesses who are chosen based on their beauty, trained to dress well with exotic perfume and to be extra friendly is indeed a serious threat to ones Imaan and values.
 
The money collected for further studies is zakatable.
 
And Allah Ta'ala Knows Best


Wassalamu Alaykum


Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In'aamiyyah
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