A Muslim software developer seeking religious guidance on whether he can ethically build a Jewish estate-planning application has been advised that the project is permissible under Islamic law, provided it has no ties to Zionism.
The ruling was issued by prominent Islamic scholar Shaykh Faraz Rabbani in response to an inquiry from a developer who previously built a digital will-writing platform compliant with Islamic inheritance laws, known as Faraid. The developer’s client is now seeking to adapt the technology to cater to Jewish clientele by developing a platform based on Jewish legal tradition, or halacha.
According to the query submitted to SeekersGuidance, an educational and counseling platform founded by Rabbani, the proposed software would incorporate specific elements of Jewish jurisprudence. This includes default estate divisions where a firstborn son receives a double share, a requirement for rabbinic or Beth Din approval for any alternative distribution, options for establishing Hekdesh (religious charitable trusts), and modules to record burial and mourning preferences in accordance with Jewish customs.
The developer expressed concern that writing the code for these features—particularly the logic implementing halacha and the mandatory rabbinic approval step—might constitute cooperating in sin, pointing to prohibitions outlined in Surah al-Ma’ida 5:2.
Addressing the technical and legal aspects of the inquiry, Rabbani affirmed that the developer may take on the project and that the resulting earnings are entirely lawful, or halal. However, he introduced a significant caveat regarding geopolitical affiliations, advising the developer to thoroughly investigate the client, firm, and product for any associations with Zionism or pro-Israel causes. If any such ties are discovered, Rabbani urged the developer to decline the project out of solidarity with Palestinians, framing professional skills as a trust from God that should not be lent to such causes.
Detailing the jurisprudence behind his ruling, Rabbani explained the Hanafi school’s position on indirect assistance in actions performed by non-Muslims. He noted that within classical Hanafi legal thought, writing software or providing services that clients subsequently utilize for their own religious or personal choices does not equate to direct participation in a sin.
To illustrate this principle, Rabbani referenced authoritative texts within the Hanafi tradition, including Al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya, which states that a Muslim builder may be permitted to construct a house of worship for a non-Muslim client, rendering the wages earned wholesome. He also cited the Hidaya, a foundational legal treatise by Imam Burhan al-Din al-Marghinani, which relays the reasoning of Imam Abu Hanifa regarding the rental of property for non-Islamic worship. The principle dictates that any moral culpability rests solely with the individual who independently chooses the act, thereby severing direct liability for the person providing the underlying infrastructure or service.
Applying this legal rationale to the software developer’s situation, Rabbani argued that the developer’s role is even further removed than that of a physical builder. Jewish families utilizing the platform would independently determine how to divide their estates, establish trusts, and document their final wishes. Furthermore, they are required to consult their rabbi before modifying the default legal distributions. Because the software merely records and executes the choices independently made by the users without the developer endorsing the underlying religious framework, the labor remains permissible.
The scholar further advised the developer on how to handle potential ambiguities regarding the project’s background. He recommended asking direct questions about potential ties to pro-Israel causes and noted that if uncertainty persists, prudence dictates stepping away from the opportunity in accordance with prophetic traditions advising believers to leave matters that cause doubt for those that do not.
Acknowledging the financial difficulty of turning down a lucrative contract, Rabbani concluded his guidance by encouraging reliance on faith and mindfulness of God, citing Quranic verses emphasizing that provision comes from unexpected sources for those who maintain integrity.
Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, the scholar who issued the ruling, is a recognized authority in Islamic sciences who studied under prominent jurists in Damascus and Amman, including the late Hanafi theologian Shaykh Adib al-Kallas and leading jurist Shaykh Hassan al-Hindi. Since founding SeekersGuidance in Canada in 2007, he has been frequently listed among the world’s 500 most influential Muslims by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center and is the author of foundational works on Islamic jurisprudence, such as Absolute Essentials of Islam.