Are There Any Types of Work That Are Not Honorable?
Question :
Some people believe that it is undignified to work in certain vocations as a cook, a barber, a shoemaker, a cleaning person, and so on. Is there any Shari'ah proof to support this notion? And does the Arab disposition have an inborn distaste for these kinds of jobs?
Answer:
We do not know of any harm in working in a lawful job, as long as the worker fears his Lord, and does not cheat in his work. This is due to the generality of the Shari'ah proofs regarding that.
For example, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked which livelihood is best. He ﷺ said:
"What a man (makes by) working with his hands and (by) every proper business transaction, Recorded by Al-Bazzar and Al-Hakim declared it authentic."
He ﷺ also said:
"Nobody has ever eaten better food than the one who eats from the labor of his hands, and Allah's Prophet Dawud used to eat from Rulings For Employees And Workers the labor of his hands."
Society needs people to work in the fields you mentioned; leaving this work will harm the Muslims by making them need such services from their enemies.
It is also required for a cleaning person to strive to be careful about the cleanliness of his body and clothes, removing any impurity that may result from his work. And with Allah is the facilitation to do what is right.
Source:
Ibn Baz
Fatawa Islamiyah, Vol. 8 Pages 80-81
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