Q: For a Muslim business, what would be the recommended percentage of non-Muslim and Muslim employees and does having more Muslim employees in any way help in increasing the Barakah (blessing) of the business even accounting for the Muslim employee/s indulging in sin?
A: In terms of Shariah, there is no recommended or mandatory number of non-Muslim employees a Muslim employer may engage. The Shariah has not prohibited the employing of non-Muslims in a business enterprise. Likewise, merely having non-Muslims in one’s business does not prevent or affect the barakah or blessings of a business. Barakah actually comes through the actions and practices of the employer, because workers only carry out the instructions of the boss. The same can be said of Muslim workers. If the employer instructs the workers to adopt wrong practices and activities in the business, such as cheating people, or not fulfilling rights of clients, or ill-treating customers, then the employer himself is guilty of destroying the blessings of his earnings. However, should the workers, both Muslim and non Muslim indulge in haraam activities while at work, such as flirting with female co-workers, or similar immoral, sexual behaviour, or consuming liquor, etc. then it is the duty of the employer to stop these evils or dismiss the guilty parties. Similarly, Muslim workers who neglect their salaah should also be taken to task for such neglect. Failure by the boss to stop such wrongdoings will certainly result in loss of barakaat and blessings. The Jurists of Islam have written that fathers who hire women to breast-feed their babies, should seek out women with good morals, so that the goodness of such women can be transferred to the child. In short, non-Muslim employees who do not indulge in immorality or un-Islamic activity while working will not ward off the blessings in a Muslim business. During the times of Rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) and his illustrious Sahaaba (radhiyallahu anhum) Muslims employed non-Muslims and were employed by them. There is, therefore, no restriction. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) even used confederate Jews to fight in the Battle of Khaybar, but they were subservient to the Muslim army, being used as foot-soldiers. They were not made commanders over other Muslims.
