Working in a port that receives some prohibited goods

Q: The questioner would like Your Eminence to issue a Fatwa (legal opinion issued by a qualified Muslim scholar) clarifying to him whether his salary is Halal (lawfully-earned) money or Haram (ill-gotten) money. The questioner works in one of the ports of the Philippines and he is a Philippines employee. He says that he is in charge of collecting the fees of shipping in this port. These fees are on some prohibited goods such as wine, pork, and cigarettes. Is his salary taken from this job Halal or Haram? He wishes for Your Eminence to clarify the issue for him since he is deeply worried about it.

A: If the reality is as you have mentioned, it is not permissible for the questioner to work in the mentioned port because in this way he helps in eating pork, drinking wine, and smoking. Allah (Exalted be He) says: Help you one another in Al-Birr and At-Taqwâ (virtue, righteousness and piety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression. And fear Allâh. Verily, Allâh is Severe in punishment. This questioner has to look for any other permissible job with lawfully-earned money taking into consideration that whoever abandons something for the sake of Allah, Allah will reward him with better than it. Allah (Exalted be He) says: And whosoever fears Allâh and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty). And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine. (Part No. 11; Page No. 177) May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.