I am a Muslim man working in a western country. I work in a firm that distributes food products to different shops and markets. We move the products from the firm to the trucks to be distributed. Food products such as vegetables, fruits, milk and meat. Sometimes we are asked to move the pork meat to the trucks. So we have to collect it and carry it to the trucks. My question is: what is the ruling on my work? Knowing that the other job opportunities in restaurants offer different dishes that contain pork meat.
It is not permissible to sell pork or to receive payment for carrying it, or to help with it in any way, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah and His Messenger have forbidden the sale of alcohol, dead meat, pork and idols.”
And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Help you one another in Al‑Birr and At‑Taqwa (virtue, righteousness and piety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression. And fear Allaah. Verily, Allaah is Severe in punishment”
[al-Maa’idah 5:2]
The same applies to everything that is proven to be haraam: it is not permissible to help with it, such as serving alcohol or dead meat, or the meat of domestic donkeys, in restaurants or elsewhere.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Forbidden to you (for food) are: Al‑Maitah (the dead animals — cattle — beast not slaughtered), blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which Allaah’s Name has not been mentioned while slaughtering (that which has been slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allaah, or has been slaughtered for idols) and that which has been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by the goring of horns — and that which has been (partly) eaten by a wild animal — unless you are able to slaughter it (before its death)”
[al-Maa’idah 5:3]
What the Muslim has to do is fear Allaah and look for halaal income, and avoid haraam income. Every body that is nourished by haraam things, the Fire is more befitting for it, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Every body that is nourished by haraam things, the Fire is more befitting for it.” Narrated by al-Tabaraani and Abu Nu’aym from Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’ (no. 4519).
The scholars of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas were asked about working in restaurants where alcohol and pork are served.
They replied: It is haraam to work and earn money by helping in the consumption of haraam things such as alcohol and pork, and the payment received for that is also haraam, because this is cooperating in sin and transgression, which Allaah has forbidden as He says (interpretation of the meaning): “do not help one another in sin and transgression”. We advise you to keep away from working in this restaurant and similar places, because that will mean avoiding helping with something that Allaah has forbidden.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (13/49).
To sum up: there is nothing wrong with you working in this store, so long as you do not help with anything haraam by selling it, collecting it, carrying it or any other kind of help.
And Allaah knows best.