Is it permissible to work in museums that contain statues and various Pharaonic and other artifacts, for the purpose of explaining these statues, their origins, and their different myths to foreigners and tourists, if this is the field of study from which the questioner graduated?

It is not permissible to study or specialize in tourism, nor to work in it, due to its inclusion of forbidden acts such as ostentatious display (tabarruj), alcohol consumption, and intermingling of sexes (ikhtilat). Its harms outweigh its benefits, and "warding off harm takes precedence over acquiring benefits." Similarly, it is forbidden to work in museums that contain statues, because the erection of statues is forbidden by Sharia for any purpose, and it is a means to polytheism (shirk). Working in these fields is not considered a legitimate means of livelihood under Islamic law.