#63. THE HUKM OF WORKING IN COMPANIES WITH FIXED PRICES SUCH AS PHCN
” Assalamu Alaikum
Is it halal for a Muslim to work with electricity distribution company?
Because customers are been estimated! thus that doesn’t have meter, even if you only consume #1000 you will be on fixed eg #9000 and they use part the money to pay salaries”
ANSWER
Wa alaykum salaam warahmatullaah wabarakaatuh
Alhamdulillaah!
Firstly, there is nothing wrong in fixing charges in business. This is important to know.
The Ulamaa are in agreement that the most important thing in any transaction or contract is agreement and clarity between the two parties. If the consumer and the company that gives electricity have an agreement on certain amounts of money as charges for the month, then it is obligatory to fulfil that charge. Otherwise, if the agreement is to use the meter and pay in its accordance, then that becomes obligatory too.
However if your mention is about the oppression that takes place, whereby they charge people anyhow to fill their own pockets, then this goes only back to the ruling of oppression and assistance in oppression.
And the ruling of working in such places will depend on the generality of working in places owned by oppressive governments and oppressive companies.
What is apparent, Allaahu A’alam, is that it is permissible to work in such places since the oppression that takes place there is not a function of the establishment but that of some of the individuals that work there. If it happens that such a person that works there does not participate in such oppression, it does not affect him.
Allaahu A’alam
Baarakallaahu feekum
Jazaakumullaahu khayran.
