A common concern expressed before accepting Islam is if I do this, I want to do it right, but I’m worried I might have to change everything about my life, and I don’t think I’m ready for that.

Alhamdulillah, Islam does not require you to change anything overnight except your conviction. After that, the most important thing is learning about the Muslim creed and getting accustomed to praying regularly–all aspects of your “private sector” or personal religious development. Islam may cast some judgment on your social or public life outside the mosque, i.e. your friendships and livelihood, but changes in those arenas are almost never urgent and often fall into place with your own spiritual maturity and the various opportunities Allah offers you. Nonetheless, you may want to know what to expect should you hope to soon be a dedicated follower of Islam.

 

Islam and your career

After becoming a Muslim you may be facing a paradox as it seems, whether you are working and well settled or whether you are young and paving your life’s road or somewhere in between.

As a Muslim, do I have to change my goals in life, my college major, or my job?

Your goals will need tweaking. Your career pathway, hopefully not.

Your ultimate goals from the workplace should be in line with your goal in life as a Muslim, and that is to worship Allah [see 51:56]. However, worshiping Allah with all your life does not mean moving to a cave or an island or even a mosque and praying all day. Prophet Jesus ﷺ was a carpenter, according to Christian scriptures, and the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ after him was a merchant and oversaw safety deposits. Their companions and the best of their followers also held jobs from which they provided for their families. Work adds substance, variety and routine to a person’s life, not to mention provision, by the Grace of Allah. In general, when a person works, they should intend therewith to earn Allah’s Pleasure by following the Sunnah of the Prophets and their followers, of earning wealth; and then they should intend with that wealth, to purchase halaal food to feed themselves and their families, to give charity to those in need and support the Muslims in general. Islam does not frown on money or being rich.

There is no cause for scrutiny over what Muslims do with their wealth after paying zakaat and avoiding forbidden transactions or purchasing forbidden items or aiding evil causes. What is blameworthy is letting your work take from the rights that your family has over you of time, or allowing work to take from your worship—either skipping the prayers or failing to give the obligatory charity. Allah describes the ideal worker here,

{رِجَالٌ لَّا تُلْهِيهِمْ تِجَارَةٌ وَلَا بَيْعٌ عَن ذِكْرِ اللَّـهِ وَإِقَامِ الصَّلَاةِ وَإِيتَاءِ الزَّكَاةِ ۙ يَخَافُونَ يَوْمًا تَتَقَلَّبُ فِيهِ الْقُلُوبُ وَالْأَبْصَارُ} ﴿٣٧﴾ سورة النور

“Men whom neither trade nor sale diverts from the remembrance of Allah nor from performing the prayers or purifying their wealth. They fear a Day when hearts and eyes will be tossing.” [24:37]

In the West unfortunately, most jobs and professions contain some dubious elements. Generally speaking, if you know something is forbidden in Islam, you should stay away from it as much as you can to avoid bearing sin and polluting your heart. However, if your work necessitates dealing with something haram then do what you can to either change your profession (gradually), or modify it to become halaal, or make effort to lessen your involvement with those matters. For example, if you stock shelves at a grocery store, you can request the supervisor that you not deal with alcohol products. Or, if you’re an artist, you do not have to include living things in your illustrations, sculptures and photographs, and if you do, try your best to avoid illustrating any faces or eyes.

However, it could be that your current occupation is, at the time of your acceptance of Islam, something entirely forbidden, without any leeway for modifying that forbidden element, like being a bartender or exotic dancer. This could be exacerbated if all your technical skills and professional qualifications are related to that profession. First of all, if this is the case, I would really refrain from mentioning it to Muslims more than necessary, since many Muslims can be overly judgmental and may emotionally hurt you if you tell them that your earnings are from a debatable occupation. Second, I would devote spare time, wherever you can find it, to researching how you can modify your job Islamically.^[1]Just to give one such example of a Muslim woman working and earning in a fairly un-Islamic occupation is a tattooed bikini model. She is quoted by The Observer as saying, “I pray five times a day. … Continue reading If that doesn’t seem possible, and you absolutely have to work to survive and provide, you can try coming to the Muslim community masjid administration for financial aid while you cut back your work hours to be able to learn another skill. And Allah knows best. But remember, whatever you ever give up for the sake of Allah will be replaced with better, and usually from where you least expect it. So don’t let the bleak horizons stop you from making a sacrifice you’re otherwise ready to make. And please note, if you decide to change your employer or profession, whatever it may be, it is not necessary nor wise to immediately quit your means of provision unless you have enough to carry you and your dependents until your next occupation. If in the least doubt, consult an imam or mufti or several.

As for high school and college education, if you attend a brick and mortar building, the main dilemmas a Muslim student must be wary of are co-ed mixing, friends that do not remind you to taqwa, and subscribing to un-Islamic ideas and ideals. The best thing of course is that you assumably have more of your life ahead of you and your options are less narrowed.

 

Are any professions “better” than others in Islam?

The best of professions in Islamic light are those whose earnings come from working with your hands; also, providing religious consultation; and lastly, trade, since that was the occupation of the Prophet ﷺ when he was chosen for prophethood.^[2]Looking back on it, my work as a salesman at Target was extremely beneficial, helping me overcome personal anxieties of approaching and talking to people. It also exposes you to different people more … Continue reading However, in different places and times, some professions could be more valuable to the cause of Islam than others. In the west especially, there is a need for Muslim psychological and psychiatric counselors, and there is still room for Muslims interested in legal representation, mass media, and academia among others. And I would be lying if I said there wasn’t a shortage of qualified imams in the US.

 

What if I am in or intend to join the military?

Serving in western military forces is definitely controversial among Muslims. On one hand, the serviceman is “fighting” or “willing to lay his life on the line” to defend ideals that are not entirely Islamic, and second of course, aiding directly or indirectly to the humiliation of Muslim populations. However, if someone is a good Muslim and model serviceman while being extra kind and helpful to those around, avoiding heated or frivolous talk, and requests not to be involved with any combat operations for obvious reasons, this should be lighter insha’Allah. Many Muslim serviceman have assisted in building schools and hospitals in Muslim countries and improving their infrastructure or training their own armed forces and law enforcement.

Next page, Islamifying your mission in life, and handling friends after Islam…