Is the salary unlawful if a qualified job is obtained through "wasta" (connections/nepotism)?

The rulings regarding intercession (wasta) in employment vary depending on the applicant's qualifications and the nature of the job itself. If the applicant is competent and deserving of the position, then seeking intercession is permissible and falls under the category of good intercession (shafa'ah hasanah). However, if the applicant is not qualified, or if there is someone more deserving, then intercession is not permissible because it constitutes injustice and falls under the category of bad intercession (shafa'ah sayyi'ah).

The rulings on intercession also differ between government and private sector jobs. For government positions, it is a condition that the applicant be competent and that there is no one more deserving, because government jobs are a shared right for all. As for the private sector, it is permissible to intercede for an applicant even if there is someone more qualified, provided that the company owners are aware and approve, because their funds are private and they have the freedom to dispose of them as they wish.

The ruling on intercession does not affect the permissibility of the salary. If a person performs their work diligently, then their salary is lawful, even if their employment initially occurred through an impermissible method. Therefore, it is permissible to seek a job through intercession if you are qualified for it, whether it is a government or private position (while observing the conditions mentioned for each type).