[Q 522] IT Job in Alcohol Company

QUESTION:

Is it okay to work as a Network Engineer for a wine and spirit company?

The individual will have no direct roll in the sales, marketing or customer service. He would only be maintain the IT network.
May be it’s similar to working at a bank as a Security Guard (Chowkidar) which I believe is explicitly permissible.

ANSWER:

In the mentioned situation, where the engineer’s work is limited only to matters related to IT (Information Technology), and the job does not include the production of wine, accounting related to it, buying and selling, or any work connected to wine, then working as a Network Engineer is Shar‘an (Islamically) permissible. This is because this work is not specifically designated for sin such that sin is established through it, nor is it the intention of the engineer that the company should use this network for sinful activities. Rather, his purpose is to provide his permissible services and earn wages in return.

If another person uses this network for any Ghair Shar‘i (un-Islamic) activity, then that sinful act is the personal action of that individual himself. The attribution of the sin will be towards that person alone and not towards the engineer, because attribution is severed due to the action of a Fa‘il Mukhtar (independent doer).

Allah Almighty states in the Qur’an Majid (The Noble Qur’an): اَلَّا تَزِرُ وَازِرَۃٌ وِّزۡرَ اُخۡرٰی
(That no soul bearing a burden will bear the burden of another.)

(Surah al-Najm: 38)

It is stated in Fatawa Hindiyyah:

واذا استاجر الذمی من المسلم دارا لیسکنہا فلاباس بذٰلک وان شرب فیہا الخمر وعبد فیہا الصلیب اوادخل فیہا الخنازیر ولم یلحق المسلم فی ذٰلک باس لان المسلم لایواجر ھا لذٰلک انما اٰجرہا للسکنٰی کذا فی المحیط۔
(Al-Fatawa al-Hindiyyah, Volume 04, Page 450)

It is stated in Al-Hidayah:

من اٰجر بیتا لیتخذ فیہ بیت ناراوکنیسۃ اویباع فیہ الخمر بالسواد فلا باس بہ لان الاجارۃ ترد علی منفعۃ البیت ولا معصیۃ فیہ انما المعصیۃ بفعل المستاجر۔
(Al-Hidayah, Volume 01, Page 470)

It is stated in Radd al-Muhtar:

والدلیل علیہ انہ لواٰجرہ للسکنٰی جاز وھو لابدلہ من عبادتہ فیہ.
(Radd al-Muhtar ‘ala al-Durr al-Mukhtar, Volume 05, Page 251)

Sayyidi Imam Ahl-e-Sunnat رحمہ اللہ تعالی states: When a person has only rented out his property, and the tenants establish a hotel and carry out the mentioned actions, then there is no blame upon Zayd. “وَ لَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِّزْرَ اُخْرٰىۚ” (And no bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another). In this situation, the rent is permissible. However, if he rented it out specifically for that unlawful purpose in an Islamic locality, then he will be sinful, but even then the rent remains permissible because it is in exchange for the benefit of the property, not for those actions.

(Fatawa Razawiyyah Sharif, Volume 19, Page 520)

At another place, he states: A Muslim rents out a property with the intention of earning rent, and actions depend upon intentions. Why would he intend that it is being rented so that wine drinking or selling takes place in it? In such a case, the rent is lawful for him, and there is no harm in eating from it. Yes, whoever includes that unlawful intention will himself become sinful.

(Fatawa Razawiyyah Sharif, Volume 19, Page 501)

Answered by: Mubashir Attari (AskMufti Scholar)
Verified by: Mufti Sajid Attari
Translated answer
Date: 30th December 2025