Question:

I work at the electronic data processing department of a bank.  I could not find any other suitable job to do but I have to work here to bear my children.  I am a computer engineer and I do software development job here.  Is this job harām?

Answer:

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

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
 
As a principle, for a job to be permissible, the nature of the job itself has to be permissible.
The electronic data processing department of a bank involves using computers in recording, classifying, manipulating, and summarizing data. [1]  It has no direct association with the activities and trading of the bank.   According to the principles of Imām Abū Hanīfah rahimahullah, this job is permissible.  There is no sin in the job description.  The person working in such a department is not involved in any interest bearing transaction nor is he assisting in any such transaction.  His job is merely keeping track of information which is permissible.

The hadīth of Muslim narrated by Jābir radiallahu anhu that the Prophet salallahu alayhi wasallam cursed the accepter of interest, and its payer, and the one who records it, and the two witnesses, and he further said: they are all equal'[2], cannot be used to prohibit this job.  The recorder and witness in this hadīth refer to those who are present at the time of the transaction and are aiding the finalisation of the transaction; without them, the deal would not transpire.[3]  Hence, their involvement here is direct assistance in an interest bearing transaction.  The one who work in the EDP section of a bank merely stores data.  His documentation and recording does not initiate an interest bearing transaction.  Any interest transaction is not dependent on the one who works in the electronic data processing department.[4]

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Mufti Faraz Adam,
www.darulfiqh.com