Understanding the Permissibility of Salaries in Conventional Banks: A Shariah Perspective #
Original Question: If we work in a conventional bank, is the salary we receive “clean” since the organisation’s primary source of revenue is riba?
For our salary to be permissible or ‘clean’, our work and its job scopes will first need to be lawful in shariah.
In a Hadith, narrated by Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him), mentioned that the Messenger of Allah (ï·º) invoked curse (la’na) on the receiver of interest, its payer, the one who records it and the two witnesses, and he said: “They are equal”.
The principle concerning employment in a bank (or any other financial institution) is that any work which job scope entails being directly involved in interest-based transactions will be unlawful with the wages on such work being unpermissible.
In contrast, if the work is not directly involved in interest-based transactions in the majority/core of the job scope, that work will be lawful with the wages being permissible.
Allah knows best.
