Is it permissible to work in a bank and to assist in building a church or a temple or to contract to build a temple?

Answer

How can it ever be permissible to work in an institution of kufr and shirk such as a Christian church, Hindu temple and the like? The primary mission of Nubuwwat was the destruction of kufr and shirk. So how can it ever be permissible for a Muslim to aid and abet a church with his labour and expertise?

It is also mentioned in the Kutub of Fiqh that if a kaafir asks the direction of the temple, then showing him the direction is kufr. When only gastrulating with the hand to show the direction of a church is akin to kufr, how can it ever be permissible to build a church, work for a church or assist in any way to further the objectives of the church of kufr and shirk?

The text in Raddul Muhtaar, must necessarily be set aside and dismissed as an error of judgment. It may not be presented as daleel to justify and halaalize I'aanat alal ma'siyat which is explicitly declared haraam by the Nass of the Qur'aan Majeed.

It is indeed lamentable that a Mufti refrains from applying his mind, and cites just any hogwash as this palpable error as a daleel for issuing a fatwa of permissibility for an obnoxious practice which the heart of a Mu'min violently repels. The Mufti has acquitted himself with extreme short-sightedness and has not even attempted to apply his mind to the issue. Just any juz'i in the kutub may not be digged out to justify and halaalize what is clearly and blatantly evil and haraam. Working in any capacity whatsoever for a church or a riba bank is haraam. The earnings too are haraam.

The Mufti should be conscious of the thin ice he is skating on when issuing fatwas. Without Taqwa, a mufti will mislead people and be a victim of his nafsaaniyat. Furthermore, the mind of a Mufti should be independent, not anchored to customs and norms, nor should he be concerned with criticism or any other worldly set-back or loss of donations, etc. when issuing fatwas. He should not wade through the kutub searching for rare and dubious narrations to placate the whims and fancies of those who pose questions. He should be a beacon of light and a proclaimer of the Haqq to defend the Shariah. His job is to solidify the bond between the servant and Allah Ta'ala, not to open avenues for baatil, haraam and futility.