Short answer
It depends on the job. Work that is not part of the worship itself, such as building, maintenance, cleaning, accounting or teaching ordinary school subjects, is allowed according to Abu Hanifa, though better avoided. Jobs that directly serve the rites, like leading or playing music for services or preparing communion, are not allowed. Ask a mufti about your exact role.
Abu Hanifa held that a Muslim may take wages for building or repairing a church or working for a non-Muslim in a permitted task, since the sin of their worship is theirs, not his; his students Abu Yusuf and Muhammad considered it makruh. Directly assisting in acts of worship to other than Allah is haram. Contemporary Hanafi muftis advise that permitted roles are allowed with dislike and that a Muslim should look for other work when possible.
Other madhhabs
- Maliki
- Taking wages to build a church or to do work that serves their worship is not permitted.
- Shafi'i
- Taking wages to build a church is not permitted, since it helps in what is a sin for a Muslim.
- Hanbali
- Renting property to be used as a church or building one for wages is not permitted.
Explanation
The key principle is the Quranic command not to help each other in sin. The scholars distinguish between work that is itself the sin and work that is permitted in itself even if the employer later uses its result in a way Islam does not approve. Repairing a roof or doing the payroll is permitted work. Leading a service is not.
- Usually allowed: construction, plumbing, electrics, cleaning, security, IT, office admin, accounts, catering, teaching maths or science at a church school.
- Avoid: organist or choir roles, preparing communion, teaching religious doctrine as true, selling crosses or idols, leading worship.
- Grey areas: caretaking during services, youth programmes with religious content, or chaplaincy roles. These depend on the details.
You keep your own practice at work: pray your salah on time, ask for a quiet room, and politely excuse yourself from any religious part of meetings. Many churches and church schools are respectful of this.
Because jobs differ so much, describe your exact duties to a qualified mufti. For wider questions on halal income, see halal and haram in Islam.
Ask a mufti about your own case. This answer explains the general ruling. When the details of your situation matter, as they do here, ask a qualified mufti and give them the full facts. Where to ask a scholar.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Al-Maaida 5:2
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تُحِلُّوا۟ شَعَٰٓئِرَ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا ٱلشَّهْرَ ٱلْحَرَامَ وَلَا ٱلْهَدْىَ وَلَا ٱلْقَلَٰٓئِدَ وَلَآ ءَآمِّينَ ٱلْبَيْتَ ٱلْحَرَامَ يَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلًۭا مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرِضْوَٰنًۭا ۚ وَإِذَا حَلَلْتُمْ فَٱصْطَادُوا۟ ۚ وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَـَٔانُ قَوْمٍ أَن صَدُّوكُمْ عَنِ ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ أَن تَعْتَدُوا۟ ۘ وَتَعَاوَنُوا۟ عَلَى ٱلْبِرِّ وَٱلتَّقْوَىٰ ۖ وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا۟ عَلَى ٱلْإِثْمِ وَٱلْعُدْوَٰنِ ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ شَدِيدُ ٱلْعِقَابِ ﴿٢﴾
O you who have believed, do not violate the rites of Allah or [the sanctity of] the sacred month or [neglect the marking of] the sacrificial animals and garlanding [them] or [violate the safety of] those coming to the Sacred House seeking bounty from their Lord and [His] approval. But when you come out of ihram, then [you may] hunt. And do not let the hatred of a people for having obstructed you from al-Masjid al-Haram lead you to transgress. And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is severe in penalty.
Muslims must not directly assist in sin.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Karahiyya, Fasl fi al-bay'. Abu Hanifa permits renting property or taking wages for work that the hirer may use for a church, while his students dislike it.
- Radd al-Muhtar (Ibn Abidin), Kitab al-Hazr wa al-Ibahah, Fasl fi al-bay'. Discusses a Muslim building a church for wages and the difference of opinion.
This answer is pending review by the scholars on our team. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.