Is It Permissible to Use the Services of Companies Such as Fiverr?
Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick
Question
Fiverr is a popular platform for freelancers. However, it is an Israeli based headquarter.
Is it permissible to use their popular platform so that I can use the money for Da’wah? I don’t want to cause more harm to the Palestinians.
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
It is lawful to use the permissible services offered by retailers in general. We are not directly responsible for the actions, choices, or political positions of others. Allah says: Whoever chooses to be guided, it is only for their own good. And whoever chooses to stray, it is only to their own loss. No soul burdened with sin will bear the burden of another. And We would never punish (a people) until We have sent a messenger (to warn them.) [Quran, 17:15]
The above is a strictly legal perspective. From an ethical perspective, if these accusations are proven to be accurate, it may sometimes be best to avoid such companies as an act of principled boycott. This, of course, is not something that we can enforce on individuals, nor is the issue black and white.
Of course, if you feel unease and concern about such a company, you have the choice of not using them. If you decide otherwise, the least you should know is that the income you earn would be lawful. Allah knows best.
[Shaykh] Irshaad Sedick
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Irshaad Sedick was raised in South Africa in a traditional Muslim family. He graduated from Dar al-Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah in Strand, Western Cape, under the guidance of the late world-renowned scholar, Shaykh Taha Karaan.
Shaykh Irshaad received Ijaza from many luminaries of the Islamic world, including Shaykh Taha Karaan, Mawlana Yusuf Karaan, and Mawlana Abdul Hafeez Makki, among others.
He is the author of the text “The Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal: A Hujjah or not?” He has served as the Director of the Discover Islam Centre and Al Jeem Foundation. For the last five years till present, he has served as the Khatib of Masjid Ar-Rashideen, Mowbray, Cape Town.
Shaykh Irshaad has thirteen years of teaching experience at some of the leading Islamic institutes in Cape Town). He is currently building an Islamic online learning and media platform called ‘Isnad Academy’ and has completed his Master’s degree in the study of Islam at the University of Johannesburg. He has a keen interest in healthy living and fitness.
