Question

Assalamualaykum. I wanted to ask is it halal to work as a medical secretary? Are there any potential parts of the job that would not be allowed to do, would it count as “assisting in sin” if the job included roles like documenting/typing letters about medical processes not allowed in Islam eg abortion. Or documenting purchases in the medical department if you’re unsure whether the transaction involves riba. Or amything potential like this. Jazakallah for your time

Answer

When determining the lawfulness of a role one would have to look at the tasks which the employee is required to execute. If the tasks are lawful then the role would be lawful and if the tasks are unlawful the role will also be unlawful.

From our understanding a medical secretary will mainly be taking on administrative and secretarial tasks and will not be involved in any of the actual medical processes nor sales of medication. Hence, if a doctor was to carry out an abortion at a gestational age which would not be permissible in Islam, your job as a medical secretary would only be to document the relevant notes in this regard. You are not directly involved in the process yourself nor are you a cause for the abortion.

Another example is the prohibition of writing down and witnessing interest-based contracts. This is undoubtedly unlawful. However, the prohibition of writing down and witnessing interest-based contracts, applies to those cases where the individual’s role plays a primary function in the transaction, and without their role the transaction would not go ahead. For example, preparing the interest-based contracts or signing the contracts as one of the transacting parties. In such a case without these contracts the transaction would not take place, hence, being involved at this stage would be impermissible. If after the transaction has taken place, if an accountant or someone working in data-entry makes a note of what has already taken place that will not fall under the prohibition. Therefore, your role as a medical secretary would not be impermissible even if you are recording data related to an act which may not be lawful in Islam.

صحيح مسلم (3/ 1219)

عَنْ جَابِرٍ، قَالَ: «لَعَنَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ آكِلَ الرِّبَا، وَمُؤْكِلَهُ، وَكَاتِبَهُ، وَشَاهِدَيْهِ»، وَقَالَ: «هُمْ سَوَاءٌ»

شرح النووي على مسلم (11/ 26)

هذا تصريح بتحريم كتابة المبايعة بين المترابيين والشهادة عليهما وَفِيهِ تَحْرِيمُ الْإِعَانَةِ عَلَى الْبَاطِلِ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ

إكمال إكمال المعلم للأبي 279:4

والمراد بالكاتب كاتب لوثيقة وبالشاهد المتحمل وان لم يردو في معناهما من حضر فاقره وانما سوى بينهم فى اللعنة لان العقد لم يتم الا بالمجموع

Answered by:
Ifta Research Fellow

Checked & Approved by:
Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
Mufti Zubair Patel