Can I Get a Job with a Degree I Received through a Student Loan?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
I took out a student loan to finish my degree, but I later learned that this was Haram in Islam. Alhamdulillah, I now know. Since then, I’ve felt deep regret and sadness for doing this and wasting three years of my life.
However, Alhamdulillah, I did see/read another question answered about this issue. I wanted to ask whether I could use this degree to get a job because I obtained it through haram means.
This would make my earnings haram because the foundation is haram, so I don’t want to start my job this way.
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
I pray you are well.
Yes, it is permissible for you to get a job even though you earned the degree through an interest-bearing student loan. Your job is a separate matter; the money you will earn is halal through your own efforts.
The most important thing is you have realized and have remorse for it. Abdullah ibn Masud reported, the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Regret is part of repentance.” [Ibn Majah]
If you are currently paying your loan, make it a priority to repay it as soon as possible, and continue repenting and seeking forgiveness from Allah Most High. [Usmani, Fiqh al-Buyu]
Related:
Should I Start to Repay a Student Loan, I Am Not Currently Required To?
Loan Archives
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I pray this helps with your question.
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally-trained scholar who has studied in the UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, and Turkey. He started his early education in the UK. He went on to complete the hifz of the Quran in India, then enrolled in an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied the secular and ‘Aalimiyya sciences. He then traveled to Karachi, Pakistan. He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for several years. He has taught hifz of the Quran, Tajwid, Fiqh, and many other Islamic sciences to children and adults onsite and online extensively in the UK and Ireland. He taught at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK, where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences. He currently resides in the UK with his wife. His interest is a love of books and gardening.
