A Muslim software developer facing a unique technical and ethical dilemma has received formal legal counsel from prominent Islamic scholar Shaykh Faraz Rabbani regarding whether it is permissible to build a Jewish estate-planning platform.
The developer, who previously constructed a will-writing application designed to help Muslims generate Faraid-compliant wills, was approached by a client to develop a parallel version tailored for Jewish clients. This new platform would structure estate divisions according to halakha, Jewish law, rather than Islamic jurisprudence.
According to the project specifications outlined in the query, the platform’s default estate division would follow halakha, including specific mandates such as the rule granting a firstborn son a double share. Furthermore, any distribution deviating from this halachic default would require formal approval from a rabbi or a Beth Din—a rabbinical court—before the will could be finalized. The system would also feature options for establishing Hekdesh, a religious charitable trust, alongside modules for documenting burial and mourning wishes in accordance with Jewish custom.
The core dilemma presented to the scholar concerned the developer’s direct involvement in writing the code for these features, including the logic applying halakha and the integration of mandatory rabbinic approval steps. The developer questioned whether this work would constitute impermissible cooperation in sin under the ethical framework of Surah al-Ma’ida 5:2.
In his detailed response, Shaykh Faraz Rabbani—founder and executive director of SeekersGuidance and a recognized specialist in Islamic jurisprudence—affirmed that building the platform is permissible and that the earnings generated from the project are lawful. However, he accompanied this ruling with an essential caveat regarding geopolitical considerations, advising the developer to thoroughly investigate any potential ties to Zionism or pro-Israel advocacy.
The Issue of Assistance Itself
Addressing the jurisprudential mechanics of the request, Shaykh Rabbani explained that within the Hanafi school of Islamic law, writing the software code does not amount to assisting in sin. The labor itself is inherently lawful, while the subsequent use of the software remains the independent choice of the end-user.
The ruling draws a clear legal distinction between directly facilitating a wrongful act and providing a neutral tool that another party subsequently chooses to utilize. To illustrate this principle, the scholar referenced classical Hanafi legal authorities, including Al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya, which states that if a non-Muslim hires a Muslim to construct a house of worship for their faith, the work is permissible and the wages earned are wholesome.
Additionally, the scholar cited al-Hidaya, a foundational legal text authored by Imam Burhan al-Din al-Marghinani, referencing the reasoning of Imam Abu Hanifa regarding the rental of a property to a tenant who intends to use it for worship. The legal rationale establishes that moral culpability remains strictly with the actor who independently chooses the deed, thereby severing direct liability from the owner or provider of the underlying asset or service.
Applying this principle to the software project, Shaykh Rabbani noted that the developer’s position is even further removed from direct participation than a manual laborer constructing a physical building. Jewish families utilizing the software retain full autonomy over how they divide their estates, establish trusts, and record burial preferences, consulting their rabbinical authorities whenever they opt to modify default settings. The software merely records and executes their autonomous decisions, incorporating the required approval steps without the developer personally endorsing the religious framework.
Step Away If Zionism Is Involved
Despite the permissibility of the technical work under Hanafi jurisprudence, Shaykh Rabbani placed a strict ethical boundary concerning the broader political context of the client or the product. He advised the developer to conduct a clear investigation into whether the client, firm, or resulting product maintains any institutional ties to Zionism or pro-Israel causes.
Should such connections be uncovered, the scholar stated that moral conscience necessitates declining the contract, regardless of the lawfulness of the software development itself. Emphasizing that professional skills are a trust granted by divine providence, he warned against lending technical expertise to causes associated with the oppression of Palestinian communities.
The scholar recommended asking direct questions during preliminary discussions and conducting due diligence. In situations where ambiguity persists, he pointed to the prophetic tradition recorded by Tirmidhi, which advises believers to leave matters that induce doubt in favor of those that do not.
Acknowledging the financial difficulty of turning down lucrative employment, Shaykh Rabbani concluded his counsel by citing Quranic verses emphasizing mindfulness of God (taqwa) and reliance on divine provision (tawakkul). He encouraged the developer to maintain ethical integrity regardless of the final outcome of the contracting process, assuring that adherence to these principles ultimately secures rightful sustenance.