Is working for a marketing research company that collects detailed information about companies' products, customers, and competitors considered unlawful or espionage, knowing that employees do not know the details of customers and competitors? Is it permissible for employees not to adhere to the company's strict instructions in counting products and obtaining monthly sales invoices, and instead substitute this with random estimates, knowing that the company may be aware of this and ignore it? What is the ruling on working for this company if a large part of its profits comes from a client working in the tobacco industry? Is the money earned from this work permissible (halal) and can one perform Hajj with it?
The aforementioned work includes several prohibitions, such as: restricting prohibited products, which constitutes cooperation in sin; paying money to workers in exchange for permission to count or obtain invoices if the shop owner prevents that; and deceiving and defrauding the employer by writing incorrect numbers. If it is possible to avoid these prohibitions, then there is no harm in the work, and it is not considered espionage. However, if it is not possible to avoid them, then the work is not permissible.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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