Working in a trucking company that carries lawful and unlawful goods

10-7-2014 | IslamWeb

Question:

Dear brother As-Salaamu 'Alaykum, I have a question in hopes that you can help me out by answering it and clearing up the matter for me. I am a practicing Muslim and I work as a dispatcher for a trucking company. My job is to find truck-loads for our company truck drivers. I use the phone to call different companies and book from them loads for the right price. 99% of the time I find and book truck-loads carrying lawful commodities (such as fruits, vegetables, auto parts, plastics, etc). However, at times there are loads by other companies that are being offered to me over the phone that carry forbidden matter, such as pork and alcohol. I myself personally refuse to book such loads for obvious religious reasons and in this situation I am then required to hand the phone over to another dispatcher who works in our company, who is not a Muslim by the way, and who, based upon the right price, decides whether or not to book such a load containing haraam matter. My question is, am I cooperating in sin and transgression by handing the phone over to this non-Muslim dispatcher who might or might not decide to book such a load if the price is right? Also, is my income lawful from my employer? This is the only income I receive for me and my family, and Allaah knows my financial situation is not that stable neither. Please answer, BaarakAllaahu feek.

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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.

You are not sinful over the mentioned job and for the money that you earn from it as long as you do not arrange for forbidden loads. Handing over the phone to another employee is not a form of cooperating in sin.

We ask Allaah to make you firm upon His Religion and increase your Islamic knowledge.

Allaah Knows best.