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Fatwa CenterHandling symbols and images of disbelief at work
Question
As-salamu alaikum,i have questions concerning working in the west. Are following jobs allowed? I think what i will mention is common in european countries and it would be difficult to avoid it.1. If you work for a company and you are a car cleaner and there is a car which has a symbol of a cross or a national flag or the brand name is derived from an idol or a christian name. Would it be allowed to clean such cars? I mean, the task would also include to wash the place where the symbol is. Or another example would be a tire change and you should take a tire with the mentioned things and put it on the car. Would that be a problem? If yes, would that contain kufr?2. If you are working for a company, which produces things. Would it be a problem if the products which you should produce would contain a national flag on the packaging, or the brand name would be derived from idols or christian names etc. Then your task would be to package the products, but maybe the package would contain the mentioned things. Or you should transport the products. Would that contain kufr?3. Here is a logistic company which is named "hermes". This name is derived from an greek idol. The workers should wear a jacket with the company name. Or the parcels which you should deliver would contain this name. what is the ruling?Jazakumullahu khayran.
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, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
There is nothing wrong with doing the work you mentioned. The presence of the cross or other symbols of those companies does not necessitate prohibition, because the worker's job is not related to those symbols themselves, but they are subsequent to the work, and they are not by themselves the objective. Even the activity itself of the company is not linked directly to the cross or the like; they are just slogans and nothing more.
Some scholars are of the view that wearing something that contains an image of the cross – which is the most prominent symbol of disbelief – is only disliked and not forbidden. Al-Mughni, authored by Ibn Qudaamah 
reads: “It is disliked to put the sign of the cross on a dress because ‘Imraan ibn Hittaan reported from ‘Aa’ishah 
that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam “did not leave anything in his house which had a cross without tearing it up. [Abu Daawood]."
Therefore, it is with greater reason – according to this view – those types of work you mentioned are not forbidden.
Allaah Knows best.
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