Q: I am working as an external auditor. I have always had the conception that working for a bank is not lawful dealing in interest.
I am currently looking for potential jobs and there are some well paid jobs being offered by some of the leading banks in their internal audit departments which look after the risk/controls/governance issues facing the bank.
I am not sure how much direct dealing the role has with interest related matters, but the fact remains that interest is the dominant factor in any banking environment.
الجواب حامدا ومصليا ومنه الصدق والصواب
A: Most employments within the conventional banking sector will always carry some degree of reprehensibility or impermissibility. Sometimes, simply undesirable (makruh tanzihi), sometimes prohibitively reprehensible (makruh tahrimi) and sometimes clearly unlawful (haram).
There may also be some peripheral roles which may escape the above. There are two pertinent aspects to the role of an external/internal auditor.
Firstly, to what extent does the role involve the execution, witnessing or drawing up of an interest-based contract? Secondly, to what extent does the role provide assistance in the execution, witnessing or drawing up of an interest-based contract?
The role of an auditor, as very briefly described in the question, pertains to forecasting, risk management and providing a fair and honest assessment to external bodies and as such is not a role that involves the execution, witnessing or drawing up of an interest-based contract.
However, the role of forecasting and risk management does provide very bespoke assistance in the execution of interest-based activities. As such it is not permitted. If the role of the auditor is limited to only providing a fair and honest assessment of the finances of the bank for statutory authorities for example then it is permitted. However, it too is not entirely free from undesirability.