An airline steward is asking: is it permissible for me to offer alcohol to passengers?
Question

                Dear Shaykh, I would like to know which of these two things is better: for a man to work as an airline steward, and on some trips some kinds of alcohol are offered. Is it better to conceal the alcohol so that the passengers do not see it, and therefore do not ask for it except in rare cases, or to show the alcohol as usual, because it is the passengers’ right?… Is there a difference between the two matters in terms of sin for the one who serves alcohol once a month, and the one who serves it ten times?… Please note that both men are not pleased with this blameworthy act that is imposed on them by the company.
Praise be to Allah.
		What the Muslim must do is fear Allah with regard to his 
		work, and seek out earnings that are lawful and wholesome. Allah has 
		made every person accountable for his actions and He will ask him about 
		his earnings: from where did he acquire them and on what did he spend 
		them? Anything that comes under the heading of disobedience to Allah or 
		disobedience to the Messenger must be avoided, and the Muslim must avoid 
		helping others with it, and he should strive to put a stop to it, 
		because Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

	“Help you one another in Al‑Birr and At‑Taqwa (virtue, 
	righteousness and piety); but do not help one another in sin and 
	transgression”

	[al-Maa’idah 5:2]. 

	Undoubtedly alcohol is the mother of all evils. The Prophet 
	(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) cursed ten people with regard to 
	alcohol: The one who presses (the grapes, etc), the one for whom they are 
	pressed, the one who drinks it, the one who carries it, the one to whom it 
	is carried, the one who pours it, the one who sells it, the one who consumes 
	its price, the one who purchases it, and the one for whom it is purchased. 

	Narrated by at-Tirmidhi (1295); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani 

	It is not permissible for the airline steward to serve 
	alcohol to the passengers, because that comes under the heading of approving 
	of evil and helping others with it. What he must do is pour it away or 
	destroy it, if he is able to do so; at the very least he should prevent 
	those who want to consume it, and tell them not to do that. Otherwise it is 
	not permissible for him to do this job in which he is not able to denounce 
	evil and, rather, he is encouraged to help others to do it. He has to give 
	up this job and look for a lawful means of earning a living and permissible 
	work. 

	The scholars of the Standing Committee were asked: 

	What is the ruling on an airline steward who is obliged to 
	carry alcohol on board the plane, and what should he do? 

	They replied: 

	Drinking alcohol is prohibited, and selling it and 
	manufacturing it is prohibited, and serving it to one who will drink it is 
	prohibited, because the one who serves it is helping the one who drinks it 
	to commit sin and transgression. Allah, may He be exalted, 
	says(interpretation of the meaning):

	“Help you one another in Al‑Birr and At‑Taqwa (virtue, 
	righteousness and piety); but do not help one another in sin and 
	transgression”

	[al-Maa’idah 5:2]. 

	Based on that, it is not permissible to remain in the job 
	mentioned. The ways of earning a living are many, and Allah, may He be 
	glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

	“And whosoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will 
	make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty).

	3. And He will provide him from (sources) he never could 
	imagine”

	[al-Talaaq 65:2-3]. 

	End quote from Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah (22/ 96) 

	It is not permissible for the airline steward to serve 
	alcohol to the passengers, whether in small or great amounts, and whether he 
	serves it once or more than that. All of that is prohibited, although 
	prohibited things vary in degree, and the one who commits a sin several 
	times incurs a greater burden of sin than one who does it just once, and so 
	on. 

	The questioner’s saying that alcohol is the right of the 
	passenger is completely incorrect. How can it be his right when Allah has 
	cursed the one who drinks it?! Whatever rights people claim that are 
	contrary to the commands and rulings of Allah, those rights are invalid, 
	because they are not rights at all. 

	The fact that both stewards do not approve does not make it 
	permissible for them to cooperate in doing evil deeds and exposing 
	themselves to the wrath and curse of Allah – Allah forbid; rather not 
	approving means that one should not participate in the sin, or sit in the 
	place where it is being committed, as Allah, may He be exalted, says 
	(interpretation of the meaning):

	“And it has 
	already been revealed to you in the Book (this Quran) that when you hear the 
	Verses of Allah being denied and mocked at, then sit not with them, until 
	they engage in a talk other than that; (but if you stayed with them) 
	certainly in that case you would be like them. Surely, Allah will collect 
	the hypocrites and disbelievers all together in Hell”

	[an-Nisa’ 4:140]. 

	Shaykh as-Sa ‘di (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

	Allah has explained to you – in what He has revealed to you – 
	that His shar‘i rulings to be followed when attending gatherings in which 
	disbelief and sin are present: 

	“And it has already been revealed to you in the Book (this 
	Quran) that when you hear the Verses of Allah being denied and mocked at” 
	that is, being belittled. That is because what is required of every 
	accountable person with regard to the Revelations of Allah is to believe in 
	them, then venerate them and respect them. That is the purpose for which 
	they were revealed, and it is the purpose for which Allah created His 
	creation. The opposite of belief is rejection of them, and the opposite of 
	respecting them is mocking them and scorning them. That includes the 
	arguments that the disbelievers and hypocrites may come up with to 
	invalidate the Revelations of Allah and support their disbelief. 

	The same also applies to innovators of various types. Their 
	argument in support of their falsehood implies disrespect towards the 
	Revelations of Allah, because the revelation only supports the truth, and 
	does not contain anything but truth. And in fact this also applies to 
	attending gatherings of sin and immorality, in which the commands and 
	prohibitions of Allah are flouted and the limits that He has set for His 
	slaves are transgressed. This ruling also includes the prohibition on 
	sitting with them, “until they engage in a talk other than that” that 
	is, until they begin to talk about things other than disbelief in the 
	Revelations of Allah and ridiculing them. 

	“(but if you stayed with them) certainly in that case” 
	that is, if you sit with them in the situation mentioned,

	“you would be like them” because then you would be 
	approving of their disbelief and ridicule, and the one who approves of sin 
	is like the one who does it. The point is that whoever attends a gathering 
	in which Allah is disobeyed is obliged to object to them if he is able to, 
	or to get up and leave if he is not able to do so. 

	End quote from Tafseer as-Sa‘di (210) 

	Conclusion: 

	It is not permissible for you to carry alcohol, or to give it 
	to any of the passengers, and even if the company orders you to do that, 
	there is no obedience to any created being if it involves disobedience 
	towards the Creator. In fact the minimum that you must do is hide it, and do 
	not let the passengers see it. If one of them looks for it, do not tell him 
	where it is, and if it so happens that one of them asks for it, and insists 
	on what the company has allowed him, you should not be the one who gives it 
	to him, or play any part in that. 

	Please see also the answers to questions no.
	1830 and 96739. 

	And Allah knows best.