Working in a data centre

Nov 16, 2021 | Miscellaneous

Question

Hello dear Scholars of islam

i have an urgent question about my situation

i am currently working as an IT technician. my duties consist of working in a data center.
A data center or data center is a building, a dedicated space within a building, or a group of buildings used
to house computer systems and associated components, such as telecommunications and storage systems, servers etc..
We mainly do small jobs like changing power supply units or installing and removing servers or wiring and unwiring.
Also small troubleshooting.

we work for different customers. Our company serves mainly 3 customers.
1 customer is a company where they rent their data centers to other customers.
2 customer is a manufacturer of electrical equipment and helps with the production of trains.
3 customer is a bank where we mainly do cabling and decabling.

customer 3
it is allowed to work at a bank if you mainly do wiring and unwiring. I have read some fatwas that say it is allowed to work
as a security guard, cleaner or in a call center.
Above all, I do unwiring. Unwiring is nothing more than cleaning up, like a cleaner would do.
Because these cables are no longer needed and are just lying around.
Cabling is connecting new devices with the necessary cables so that you can improve or expand your systems with which you can, for example
, to run interest transactions.
the cables taken out can be checked but i don’t do that otherwise i would equip them with cables again
is it allowed to work for this customer ?

customer 1
This is a company that rents out their datacenter. Their customers can also be banks or insurance companies. Me and my boss
do not know who their customers are. Can I work there or not? At this customer we do all the work I mentioned above.

customer 2
Is a manufacturer of electrical equipment and helps in the production of trains. They do not rent their datacenter. This data center is theirs.
I think it is the best place for me to work. At this customer we also do all the work I mentioned above.

I have read some fatwas. One says it is completely forbidden to work in a bank, even if you work for a company that has a bank as a client
and you should quit. Another says if you work as a cleaner or security guard or in a call center it is allowed,
because you are not directly involved with sin. Another says that you should not quit directly but first look for a new job. I work,
because my family needs financial support. We could live without my contribution, but it would be harder to pay all these bills.

I also talked to my boss about this issue and he can’t guarantee me that I can only work for the manufacturer of electrical equipment.
there can be emergencies or we have too little staff in the other projects. is it bad if I try to work all the time in the manufacturer of electrical equipment
but go to the other 2 customers only in case of urgencies or on the order of the boss,
if that would happen ?

Besides there are on-call services (24 hours a day) for the manufacturer of electrical equipment and the company that rents out its data center.
I would have to do this as well.would this be allowed ?

I see only 4 possibilities

– either I force my boss to make me work only at the manufacturer of electrical equipment and not to be on-call services (24 hours a day)
and not to be present in any emergencies in the other projects.
– I try to work as much as possible at the manufacturer of electrical equipment if possible
– I quit immediately
– I will work at this company until I find a new job.

if there are other possibilities I would be open to hear them.

I have been working at the bank for about the last 6 months unwiring and rewiring.is the money that i made haram.
I just had a bad feeling that I could get interest money. Then I read a fatwa
saying that if a company gets interest money it is allowed for a worker. I thought that you are not allowed to work for a bank directly.
(employed), but my case was that I was working for another company that was servicing a client, which unfortunately is a bank.
In addition, I never thought about whether it was forbidden to work at a bank.

and what about the money I earn now or will make in the future is that also Haram, as long as I do not work at the manufacturer of electrical equipment. and
if my boss forces me to work for the other customers. He did not guarantee that I will always work for the manufacturer of electrical equipment.
if I quit, I may get a notice period and have to work for another month.
My boss could force me to work this month at the bank or at the customer who rents his data center.
rents. What is the best thing to do.

I have also set aside some of this money. Is this money also haram. and I bought some things with this money is this also haram.
What should I do with this money or property.

If there are any questions you can write me on my email address. It is important to me that I get an answer as soon as possible.
because if this job is haram i will leave it.

my english is not so good so i would appreciate if you can explain it as simple as possible. Also feel free to give a long and
detailed answer with all the proofs. I would be glad if you can make a small summary at the end in this case.

Jazak Allah (s.w.t)


Answer

In the name of Allah, the Inspirer of truth.

Your work and income are permissible and lawful.

To understand the ruling, we have to separate out the work that is being done.

Firstly, you are a contractor. You are not paid by the bank, but by your company. This needs to be clarified. Thus, so long as at least 50% of the income of your company comes from halal sources, your income is lawful. This ruling applies to all companies.

Secondly, the work you are doing, even when contracted out to banks, is also permissible. You are doing the electrical wiring for the bank – this has no immediate connection with the bank’s financial activities. Therefore, this work would be permissible based on the principles of Imam Abu Hanifa. This is because the mere act of wiring and unwiring cables is permissible and there are abundant halal usages for the cabling you are doing. It is not necessary that the cabling is used for interest or any other unlawful financial transaction – this is the action of a free individual with their own volition, therefore, you will not take any blame for this.

May Allah bless you for your concern and precaution. Of course, if you are able to manage your workflow in a way that only situates you with your other two clients, this would be desirable. Though, you are not doing anything unlawful by doing the wiring for the bank.

I hope that clarifies the matter.

الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار) (6/ 391) (وَ) جَازَ (بَيْعُ عَصِيرِ) عِنَبٍ (مِمَّنْ) يُعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ (يَتَّخِذُهُ خَمْرًا) لِأَنَّ الْمَعْصِيَةَ لَا تَقُومُ بِعَيْنِهِ بَلْ بَعْدَ تَغَيُّرِهِ وَقِيلَ يُكْرَهُ لِإِعَانَتِهِ عَلَى الْمَعْصِيَةِ وَنَقَلَ الْمُصَنِّفُ عَنْ السِّرَاجِ وَالْمُشْكِلَاتِ أَنَّ قَوْلَهُ مِمَّنْ أَيْ مِنْ كَافِرٍ أَمَّا بَيْعُهُ مِنْ الْمُسْلِمِ فَيُكْرَهُ وَمِثْلُهُ فِي الْجَوْهَرَةِ وَالْبَاقَانِيِّ وَغَيْرِهِمَا زَادَ الْقُهُسْتَانِيُّ مَعْزِيًّا لِلْخَانِيَّةِ أَنَّهُ يُكْرَهُ بِالِاتِّفَاقِ. (بِخِلَافِ بَيْعِ أَمْرَدَ مِمَّنْ يَلُوطُ بِهِ وَبَيْعِ سِلَاحٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْفِتْنَةِ) لِأَنَّ الْمَعْصِيَةَ تَقُومُ بِعَيْنِهِ ثُمَّ الْكَرَاهَةُ فِي مَسْأَلَةِ الْأَمْرَدِ مُصَرَّحٌ بِهَا فِي بُيُوعِ الْخَانِيَّةِ وَغَيْرِهَا وَاعْتَمَدَهُ الْمُصَنِّفُ عَلَى خِلَافِ مَا فِي الزَّيْلَعِيِّ وَالْعَيْنِيِّ وَإِنْ أَقَرَّهُ الْمُصَنِّفُ فِي بَابِ الْبُغَاةِ. قُلْت: وَقَدَّمْنَا ثَمَّةَ مَعْزِيًّا لِلنَّهْرِ أَنَّ مَا قَامَتْ الْمَعْصِيَةُ بِعَيْنِهِ يُكْرَهُ بَيْعُهُ تَحْرِيمًا وَإِلَّا فَتَنْزِيهًا. فَلْيُحْفَظْ تَوْفِيقًا. (وَ) جَازَ تَعْمِيرُ كَنِيسَةٍ وَ (حَمْلُ خَمْرِ ذِمِّيٍّ) بِنَفْسِهِ أَوْ دَابَّتِهِ (بِأَجْرٍ) لَا عَصْرُهَا لِقِيَامِ الْمَعْصِيَةِ بِعَيْنِهِ

Answered by:
Maulana Ikramul Hoque Miah

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