Creating Websites Selling Alcohol

Ustadh Salman Younas is asked about being tasked, as a web-developer, to build websites for companies engaged in the sale of alcohol.

Question:

Assalam alaykum wa rahmat Allah wa barakatuh.

I have just started a new job as an IT technician/web developer. Only today did the manager ask me to work on one of their sites. This particular website along with a couple of others are based around the sale of alcohol.

What I want to ask is, is it permissible to develop and support these websites which are based around the sale of alcohol? The company that I work for sells other things apart from alcohol.

I look forward to your reply.

Wassalam.

Answer:

Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmat Allah wa barakatuh.

Generally, the job of a web developer is permissible unless it involves content that is impermissible, such as pornography.

In the case you describe, you are not the person who is directly engaged in selling the alcohol. Rather, a third-party is. Thus, your work of creating a platform where a company can sell alcohol is in itself permitted and your income valid.

However, the line may become blurrier depending on the specifics that you are tasked with. The closer it approaches directly assisting another in sin, the more disliked it would. Most web-development and IT technician tasks, however, seem to fall in the realm of non-prohibited though as mentioned in the general rule above.

For more, please see: Assisting in Sin.

Salman

Checked and approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani.