Disposing of the remaining wages of an absent worker
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
This questioner says: I hired a worker for two thousand riyals, then we disagreed over the wage, and one thousand riyals, or more, remained. He left and did not take the rest of the money.
The Shaykh:
Repeat.
The questioner:
I hired a worker for two thousand riyals, then we disagreed over the wage.
The Shaykh:
There is no power and no strength.
The questioner:
One thousand riyals, or more, remained, and he left without taking the rest of the money. I intended to give it to him, so what should I do with the money in my hand?
The Shaykh:
If you do not know him, and you do not know anyone who can deliver his right to him, then give charity on his behalf with the intention of it being for him. If he comes after a while and asks for it, you give him his right, unless he permits the charity, in which case there is no harm. This is if you do not know him, do not know his address, and do not know anyone who knows him. You give charity on his behalf, giving to some poor people with the intention that it is for this person of yours, and your conscience is cleared along with repentance. If he comes after a while and says, "I am the owner of the right, and I know you," you say, "I am giving charity to pay off your debt. Do you accept the charity on your behalf? Praise be to Allah. If not, I will give you the money, and the charity will be for you, or it will be for me."
The questioner:
Another year, O Shaykh, may Allah bless you.
The Shaykh:
Whether it is the money or the one who corrupts it. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you,
This questioner says: I hired a worker for two thousand riyals, then we disagreed over the wage, and one thousand riyals, or more, remained. He left and did not take the rest of the money.
The Shaykh:
Repeat.
The questioner:
I hired a worker for two thousand riyals, then we disagreed over the wage.
The Shaykh:
There is no power and no strength.
The questioner:
One thousand riyals, or more, remained, and he left without taking the rest of the money. I intended to give it to him, so what should I do with the money in my hand?
The Shaykh:
If you do not know him, and you do not know anyone who can deliver his right to him, then give charity on his behalf with the intention of it being for him. If he comes after a while and asks for it, you give him his right, unless he permits the charity, in which case there is no harm. This is if you do not know him, do not know his address, and do not know anyone who knows him. You give charity on his behalf, giving to some poor people with the intention that it is for this person of yours, and your conscience is cleared along with repentance. If he comes after a while and says, "I am the owner of the right, and I know you," you say, "I am giving charity to pay off your debt. Do you accept the charity on your behalf? Praise be to Allah. If not, I will give you the money, and the charity will be for you, or it will be for me."
The questioner:
Another year, O Shaykh, may Allah bless you.
The Shaykh:
Whether it is the money or the one who corrupts it. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you,
Source
فتاوى الحج 1410 هـ - 12 — archive.org (34:08)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.