Q&A: Working as a Policeman for the Authorities | Sheikh Ata� Abu Rashtah

The following is the translation of an Arabic Q&A from the website of the noble mujtahid and faqih, Sheikh `Ata� Ibn Khalil Abu Rashtah (Allah preserve him).

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Question:

al-salamu `alaykuk wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.

My dear brother, I have a question. I live in Hebron and everyone knows how we are afflicted with suffering by this authority and how dangerous and damaging it is and its reality is well-known. My question has two aspects: One: is everyone who is associated with its departments a sinner i.e. unlawful, to be a traffic policeman for their authorities? Two: what is the ruling for he who works for them (in their headquarters) as a craftsman, artisan or workman as well as a construction worker or a tile worker, etc�peace and blessings of Allah Most high be with you.

Answer:

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Answer:

Wa `alaykum al-salam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.

As regards working as a policeman for the authorities: Abu Ya`la reports a hadith in his Musnad as well as Ibn Hibban in his Sahih and the wording is Abu Ya`la�s that: Abu Sa`id and Abu Hurayrah both said that: the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: �A time will come when you will have idiotic and despotic rulers over you putting forward the most evil of people and follow them in their choices and they will delay the Prayer from its fixed times. So if you are in that time, then do not be a corporal, a policeman, a tax collector or treasurer�� The hadith mentions the unrestricted prohibition by the Messenger of Allah for being any of these persons when the ruler is idiotic and despotic. However, al-Tabarani in his [al-Mu`jam] al-Saghir and al-Awsat the following narration from Abu Hurayrah: �Whoever is present at that time, then let him not be a tax collector, treasurer or policeman for them�. He said: <????? ?????????? ??????> (�and do not be for them�) which is a restricted prohibition due the letter �lam/?????� denoting �specification� (lam li�l-ikhtisas). What this means is that the prohibition relates to working for those specific rulers, e.g. specifically protecting them, or working as a private security service for them as well as a treasurer for them or any other such security services. The principle in Usul [al-Fiqh] is that the unrestricted (mutlaq) is understood by the restricted (muqayyad). Therefore, the prohibition refers to working as an officer or policeman that involves security and protection of the rulers like guarding the president and his aides, treasurer to his wealth or a policeman for the state and such jobs.

As for other general police professions, then this is permitted provided of course that does not involve oppressing others or taking their rights but investigating the rights of work. This is not only the case for the police department but for every department. Therefore, it is permitted to work as a traffic policeman [s: or officer].

Regarding other kinds of work such as being employed as a tiler, builder, bleacher or fuller, then these are permitted. A contract of employment/hire (ijarah) is permitted whether for a Muslim or non-Muslim as long as the work is permitted in origin unless there is an actual state of war going on [s: with Muslims] because such a situation has very different legal rulings. Ibn Majah relates from Ibn `Abbas that: �The Prophet was in need of food and news of that reached `Ali. He went out seeking work so that he could earn something to give to the Messenger of Allah. He came to a garden belonging to a Jewish man and he drew seventeen buckets of water for him, each bucket for a date. The Jew gave him the option to take seventeen of his `ajwah dates (a high quality of dates) and he brought them to the Prophet of Allah.�[5] al-Tirmidhi also narrated something similar and it is a proof that it is permissible seek work from a non-Muslim as long as the work is not impermissible. Thus, working for the authorities in a permissible job is allowed.

Your brother Ata Ibn Khalil Abu Al-Rashtah.

[End].

References and translator's notes:

1. The meaning of �`arif/corporal�: the person who informs the Khalifah or ruler about the affairs of the army or soldiers.[6]
2. The meaning of �shurti/policeman�: he who protects the Khalifah or ruler or any authority in the Islamic state.
3. The meaning of �jabiy/tax collector�: the state tax collector or zakat collector.[7]
4. The meaning of �khazin/treasurer�: the one who protects the state wealth or money.[8]

s.z.c.

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[1] Abu Ya`la, al-Musnad (no.1115) and cf. The �Kitab al-Khilafah wa�l-Imarah� in the Zawa�id of Abu Ya`la�s Musnad entitled al-Maqsid `al-Ali (no.779). Shaykh Shu`ayb al-Arna�ut declares thehadith to be �weak� (da`if) although Shaykh al-Albani declared it �authenticated� (sahih) inSilsilat Ahadith al-Sahihah (no.360). al-Haythami in al-Majma` al-Zawa�id, 5:240 states all the transmitters to be those of the sahih (authentic) category except `Abd al-Rahman Ibn Mas`ud who is upright (thiqqah). The narration is hasan. And Allah knows best.

[2] Ibn Hibban, Sahih (no.4586).

[3] al-Tabarani, al-Mu`jam al-Saghir (no.564).

[4] al-Tabarani, al-Mu`jam al-Awsat (no.4190). The full text is:

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[5] Ibn Majah, Sunan (no.2439).

[6] `Azim Abadi, `Awn al-Ma`bud, 10:108: �He is in charge of the affairs of groups of people and informs the the Amir of their condition��

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al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar states in Fath al-Bari, 6:601: �He is called an �`arif� because he informs the Imam about the condition of the army��

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[7] See Ibn Taymiyyah, al-Majmu` al-Fatawa, 14:92 and Ibn Qudamah, al-Mughni, 7:317.

[8] See al-`Ayni, Sharh Abi Dawud, 6:436:

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