Redressing the Wrong of Taking Unearned Money from One’s Employer
Answered by Shaykh Faraz A. Khan
Question: What do I do if I feel I have wronged the company I am currently working in and I have made the company pay for expenses which are my personal expenses? One option is that I can just get my name off the register (making me entitled to NO salary) & work for free, assuming that the salary I would receive , but I don’t, is being paid to correct the wrong. Or I can just make my salary very minimal and work for almost free.
I can do these things as I work in the family business.
Answer: Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah,
I pray this finds you in the best of health states.
If you are certain that you took money that is not rightfully yours and would not be excused by its owner (the company you work for), then you could do either of the options you mention (working for free, or for a minimal amount), or you could simply pay the company what you owe them. Perhaps the first two options are more appropriate though, so as not to cause any discord or bad feelings by telling them what you did.
You should also make tawba (repentance), which entails:
(a) Ceasing the sin immediately;
(b) Feeling genuine remorse;
(c) Having firm resolve to not return to the sin; and in your case,
(d) Returning any money/property that was wrongfully taken, which is addressed above.
[Nawawi, Riyad al-Salihin]
And Allah knows best.
wassalam
Faraz
Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani
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