What Should One Do If They Record Incorrect Working Hours and Are Paid for It?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
What should one do if someone has written down incorrect hours and acquired money claiming that one has worked? Does she have to return the money back?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate
I hope you are well, amin.
It is not permissible to show more hours than one has worked. Work hours are a contract between the employer and employee. Work time and hours are a trust, and deception to earn extra money is going against the trust. The money acquired by claiming extra hours will have to be returned. [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]
Quranic Command and Prophetic Teaching
“Indeed, Allah commands justice, grace, as well as courtesy to close relatives. He forbids indecency, wickedness, and aggression. He instructs you so perhaps you will be mindful.” [Quran, 16:90]
“(The believers are also) those who are true to their trusts and covenants; and those who are (properly) observant of their prayers. These are the ones who will be awarded Paradise as their own. They will be there forever.” [Quran, 23: 8-11]
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Return the trust to those who entrusted you and do not betray those who betrayed you.” [Muslim]
The word “Amana”, mentioned in the Quran, means trust, honesty, responsibility, and integrity in all the duties which Allah (Most High) has placed upon humans.
Allah give us all success to deal with right, property and duty which we are connected to justly, amin!
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally-trained scholar who has studied within UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, and Turkey. He started his early education in the UK. He went on to complete hifz of Quran in India, then enrolled into an Islamic seminary in UK where he studied the secular and ‘Aalimiyya sciences. He then traveled to Karachi, Pakistan. He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for a number of years. He has taught hifz of the Quran, Tajwid, Fiqh and many other Islamic sciences to both children and adults onsite and online extensively in UK and Ireland. He was teaching at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences. He currently resides in UK with his wife. His personal interest is love of books and gardening.
