Designing Packaging for Non Muslim Food Company??

One of my friends works in food production where he makes dough for pizza and prepares it for other people on the production line who will place haram toppings such as ham on it. Would income from this job be halal?

Answer:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

It will be permissible for your friend to make (halal) dough for pizza even if other people will place haram toppings on it; and his income from this job will be halal. Your friend will not be responsible for the haram toppings that other people put on it.

Although it will be permissible for your friend to continue this job, however, if your friend can find another job, it will be better for him to leave this job, as according to the view of some jurists, this job is not be permissible.

The ruling mentioned above is applicable only if the factory belongs to a non-Muslim. If the factory belongs to a Muslim then it will not be permissible to work there at all. This is because ham and other haram food cannot be sold by a Muslim; and if a Muslim does sell haram food, the money that he makes from it will be haram. And if a Muslim employee is given this money as his income, it will not be permissible for him to take it, as it is haram money. On the other hand, for a non-Muslim it is permissible to sell ham and other food which the non-Muslims consider permissible (although haram in Islam) and to make money from it. And if a Muslim employee is given this money as his income, it will be permissible for him to take it. [1]

And Allah knows best.

Mufti Faizal Riza
25/9/2011

The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught us an important principle when he said: “When Allaah forbids a thing, He (also) forbids its price.” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 3488; classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in Ghaayat al-Maraam, 318. 

2 – It was narrated from Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say when he was in Makkah at the time of the Conquest: “Allaah and His Messenger have forbidden the sale of alcohol, dead meat, pork and idols.” It was said: “O Messenger of Allaah, what do you think of the fat of dead animals, for ships are caulked with it and animal skins are daubed with it, and the people use it to light their lamps?” He said: “No, it is haraam.” Then the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “May Allaah curse the Jews, for when Allaah forbade them animal fat, they melted it down and sold it, and consumed its price.” 

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1212; Muslim, 1581. 

Al-Nawawi said: 

With regard to dead meat, alcohol and pork, the Muslims are unanimously agreed that it is haraam to sell all of these. 

Al-Qaadi said: This hadeeth indicates that whatever we are forbidden to eat or make use of, we are also forbidden to sell, and it is not permissible to consume its price, as in the case of the animal fat mentioned in this hadeeth