The Ruling on Concealment in Contracting Work
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Question:
This listener, Hamad from Riyadh, says: My brother established a contracting company in the name of our father and brought in workers on our father’s sponsorship, leaving them to work for their own account. He agreed with them that they would pay him two hundred riyals every month. I have explained to my brother repeatedly that this is not permissible according to the scholars’ rulings and also according to the Ministry of Labor regulations. Please note that our father does not approve of this and has completely disclaimed any responsibility for this company. He asks: Is there a sin on our father? What is the ruling on this? And what is the ruling on concealing these people?
Answer:
As I mentioned, this involves disobedience to the command of Allah the Exalted, and disobedience to the one in authority. It is disobedience to the command of Allah the Exalted through lying, for you have lied and made a place that is not yours, but belongs to the father, into your own by means of a trick and deception. This is a sin against Allah the Exalted. It is also a sin against the one in authority, for the rulers prevent this for the benefit of the Muslims, and it is not permissible to disobey them in this. There is a third danger, which is that you trade in people; you trade in people through their work, their sweat, and their earnings, so you consume it and give them only a little, even though their sweat and their toil belong to them. How can you take it and leave them with only a little? These are great dangers. Therefore, those who engage in these works, men and women—even women who do this work—should fear Allah the Exalted, because this is forbidden, an injustice, and a sin against the one in authority. It has many dangers, and the doors of lawful sustenance are many, praise be to Allah. The means of seeking lawful sustenance are many. Whoever fears Allah, He will make a way out for him and provide for him from where he does not expect. So we advise these people to repent to Allah, to leave this shameful work, and to seek sustenance through lawful means. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah bless you, Honorable Shaykh.
This listener, Hamad from Riyadh, says: My brother established a contracting company in the name of our father and brought in workers on our father’s sponsorship, leaving them to work for their own account. He agreed with them that they would pay him two hundred riyals every month. I have explained to my brother repeatedly that this is not permissible according to the scholars’ rulings and also according to the Ministry of Labor regulations. Please note that our father does not approve of this and has completely disclaimed any responsibility for this company. He asks: Is there a sin on our father? What is the ruling on this? And what is the ruling on concealing these people?
Answer:
As I mentioned, this involves disobedience to the command of Allah the Exalted, and disobedience to the one in authority. It is disobedience to the command of Allah the Exalted through lying, for you have lied and made a place that is not yours, but belongs to the father, into your own by means of a trick and deception. This is a sin against Allah the Exalted. It is also a sin against the one in authority, for the rulers prevent this for the benefit of the Muslims, and it is not permissible to disobey them in this. There is a third danger, which is that you trade in people; you trade in people through their work, their sweat, and their earnings, so you consume it and give them only a little, even though their sweat and their toil belong to them. How can you take it and leave them with only a little? These are great dangers. Therefore, those who engage in these works, men and women—even women who do this work—should fear Allah the Exalted, because this is forbidden, an injustice, and a sin against the one in authority. It has many dangers, and the doors of lawful sustenance are many, praise be to Allah. The means of seeking lawful sustenance are many. Whoever fears Allah, He will make a way out for him and provide for him from where he does not expect. So we advise these people to repent to Allah, to leave this shameful work, and to seek sustenance through lawful means. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah bless you, Honorable Shaykh.
Source
نور على الدرب - الفوزان - 02/254 — archive.org (6:38)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.