What is the ruling on cheating in weights and measures?

The questioner : There is no basis for partnership and exploitation.

The Shaykh : Yes, indeed.

The questioner : My brother, for example, Shaykh Mishari, you find that in one hour he produces twice what I produce, yet he is paid by the hour.

The Shaykh : What is the cause of this, Abu Muhammad? The corruption of morals.

The questioner : My mother, well, what about us?

The Shaykh : Corruption, excuse me, the corruption of morals. One of its causes is not adhering to the rulings of the Shari'ah. Do you see? But we are heedless of the secret of the Shari'ah and the importance of the Shari'ah in rectifying the conditions of the Muslims who practice it. I told a story to Abu 'Abdullah here when I started, yes, building the house I am in. They directed me to a man, a good, religious person who prays, and so on. It was the first time in my life that I was building in this way, so I was surprised by words contrary to the Shari'ah. For example, you all know what this meter says? Empty and full. Empty and full. The meter is like this, yes. Why, my brother, empty and full? Maybe this entire facade has nothing in it but a row of blocks. Do you count it as ten meters? Why? Empty and full. This is the custom of the town. This is the custom of the town. This is the same answer. Well, then, the meter for the column that he wants to pour. I forgot, of course, how much the meter is. No, it is not the meter; it is the price of pouring the column. Its price is like this, not by the meter.

The questioner : By the column, by the step, by the column. Yes.

The Shaykh : Well, I said to him, is this column ten meters? He said, no, the custom is from three to four, or he told me two and a half to four. This is fixed, its price is like this. Is it like this or not? This is the custom. This is the custom. Well, what happened after that? I explained to him the ruling of the Shari'ah. It is not permissible, my brother. Either you are wronged or I am wronged. I did not go with him, that I would pray, and so on. Why? Like this.

The questioner : What is it?

The Shaykh : The custom is cheating by the meter, my brother. By the meter, empty and full. Why empty and full? We are innocent. I have planned in my mind a type of construction contrary to the custom, also contrary to the custom.

The questioner : Your problem is with Nur.

The Shaykh : It is this. When he came to pour the columns, how much length do you want? I told him four meters, and you see the ceiling is very high. He said nothing. When he came to calculate, he wanted to add to what we agreed upon, the price of the column like this. Why this addition? This is long, four meters. The custom did not reach four meters. There are not two and a half, three at most.

The questioner : It was before, you see, two and a half to four, just now. So four is still within the measured range.

The Shaykh : Like this, but now it is from a practical family.

The questioner : May Allah guide you.

The Shaykh : Yes, no, give me, actually. I said to him, Abu so-and-so, what is his name? Abu Isha? Abu Rashid. Abu Rashid, I do not remember. I told you that this is Shari'ah, it is not permissible, because it will cause harm, either to the owner of the house or the worker. And I told you, full and empty, empty and full, and this.