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What is the ruling on working in courts and public prosecutions in Arab countries, especially Gulf countries, as an "investigation clerk"?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Courts are divided into Sharia (Islamic law) courts and secular courts. The latter are of two types: those that rule by laws other than what Allah has revealed, and those that deal with administrative rulings that do not contradict Sharia. It is permissible to work in Sharia courts or in secular courts that do not contradict the provisions of Sharia, whether as an employee, a judge, or in the public prosecution. As for secular courts that rule on matters of blood (homicide), wealth, and lives contrary to Allah's Sharia, it is not permissible to work in them, as this is considered cooperation in sin and transgression. If the work involves being a judge in such courts, it constitutes ruling by other than what Allah has revealed, which can amount to disbelief (kufr). Similarly, working in the public prosecution is forbidden due to its contradiction with Sharia, as it involves referring individuals who are not guilty according to Sharia to judgment for punishment, and seeking acquittal for those who deserve Sharia-prescribed punishment.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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