Is it Halal to Work at a Bank?
We get this question a lot. Is it halal to work at a bank? If we are talking about an Islamic Bank, of course. You can work there with no problem. If we are talking about a conventional bank that is where problems may arise. Some of the more strict scholars of Islam have outright said that working at a conventional bank is impermissible for a Muslim. We totally respect that opinion and if you tend to follow more strict rulings on other matters you might as well follow this one too.
Another opinion is that you can work at a conventional bank provided your role at the bank is a halal one. What does that mean? If your role at the bank is in any way tied to riba or other haram transactions then it is not permissible for you to have this job and your income is NOT halal. So you could not have a role as someone who sells bank credit cards, mortgages, or other interest-based loans. You also, would not be allowed to have a position where you construct/ create interest-based financial products.
“Jabir said that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) cursed the accepter of interest and its payer, and one who records it, and the two witnesses, and he said: They are all equal.”
On the other hand, many scholars have said you can have a job at a conventional bank that does not involve you promoting anything haram. For example, you could be a bank teller helping customers withdraw and deposit money. You could work in human resources and help with the hiring of staff, you could work in management helping organize personnel. These positions are likely to be halal and you do not have to do anything riba-based.
It is certainly a safer choice to work in another industry or for an Islamic Bank. However, It does appear there are a few ways to work at a bank and have your income be halal.
Allah Knows Best.
