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Fatwa CenterHis job sometimes involves corresponding with Riba-based banks
Question
I work in a Finance Dept. of a govt organisation.My main duties are coordinating the whole Finance Dept and organising meetings,correspondnce, purchase of items,internal requests ,timesheets etc. The main bank used here is an interest based bank which can cumulate a lot of interest in the main bank account. Note that through this bank account the salary of the staffs are transferred. I work as a secretary, so i usually have to type letters of correspondence to banks and other institutions where i communicate to banks perhaps once a month on average. Moreover I usually make corrections to accountants letter which include salary transfers to various individuals bank accounts . And very rarely ,probably once in 6 months I also might have to draft a letter to transfer money from any bank to our own interest based main bank. As money in itself is not haram and I am not exactly directly connected to the riba transaction, but when i know the letter I make for the transfer of money to our own account or any1 elses account can further result in riba. Is that letter of transfer (i make usually once in a few months) (and the salary transfer to other accounts , I make around once a month) haram or my whole job in itself haram? . Or is this allowed?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
In principle, it is permissible for you to work in the mentioned job, but typing a letter that leads to a Riba-based transaction like a letter for opening a savings account, for example, in a Riba-based bank is not permissible as this facilitates a Riba-based transaction. Indeed, it is confirmed that the Prophet said: “Allaah has cursed the one who consumes Riba, the one who gives it to others, the one who records it and the one who witnesses it (its transaction).” He said: “All of them are equal in sin.” [Muslim and others]
Therefore, you should avoid typing this kind of letters if you are requested to do so, and if you are unable to avoid it in your work, then you should quit it and it is not permissible for you to continue doing this job if you are not in a necessity or dire need that should be measured in accordance with its true proportions if it really exists.
Allaah Knows best.
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