Ruling on working outside of regular hours for oneself in the workplace

Question: 150855

I work as a programmer in a computer company, producing educational programs. After work hours end, I start to think of producing other educational programs that may be similar, but in a different way than that which I use for work. That would be for my own gain with a group of my colleagues. Is it permissible for me to do that or not?.

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah and his family.

Firstly:

We hope that the educational programs that you would like to
produce are free of haraam things such as music, pictures of women, training
in riba-based accounting, and so on.

Secondly:

There is no reason why you should not produce identical or
similar programs to those that you produce during your work for the computer
company, but that is subject to certain conditions:

1.You should not use materials,
programs or equipment belonging to your workplace to produce your own
programs.

2.Your work to produce these
things of your own should be done outside of regular work hours and not
during them, because during your regular work hours you are obliged to give
the company its due of your efforts, and it is not permissible for you to be
distracted by work that has nothing to do with your regular job, especially
if it is work that benefits you personally.

3.You should not try to take
customers away from your employer to market your products to them. You got
to know these customers through the company you are working for, so selling
the programs that you have produced to them is regarded as a betrayal of
trust.

This is what came to mind of conditions so that your own
production of educational programs will be permissible for you in terms of
both production and selling.

For more information see the answer to question no.
125337.

And Allah knows best.

Source:

Islam Q&A

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