Ruling on being late to official work or leaving before it ends
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In the system of official state work, you find some people arriving half an hour late or leaving work half an hour before the end of the shift, and sometimes they are an hour or more late. What is the ruling on this?
It appears that this does not require an answer; because the compensation must be in exchange for the service. Just as an employee does not accept the state reducing any part of his salary, so it is obligatory that he not reduce any part of the state's right. Therefore, it is not permissible for a person to be late to official work or to leave before it ends.
The questioner: But some people make the excuse that there is no work at all, because the work is light?The Shaykh: The important thing is that you are bound to a time, not to work.Meaning: You were told: this salary is on the condition that you attend from such a time to such a time, whether there is work or there is no work. So as long as the reward is tied to a time, this time must be fully utilized.Meaning: This time must be fulfilled, otherwise our taking of what we were not present for would be invalid.
The questioner: Likewise, using government cars outside of official work hours?The Shaykh: Using government cars during official work hours or outside of official work hours, if it is not for the benefit of the work, is not permissible; because these cars belong to the state and for the state's work, so it is not permissible for anyone to use them for his personal work. The problem is that some people are lax regarding the wealth of the state, claiming that they have a right in the public treasury.And we say: If you have a right in the public treasury, then every individual among the people also has a right in the public treasury. So why do you single yourself out and use it for yourself? Would you not prevent someone else from the people, who may be more deserving than this man, from using this car for his personal purposes? So it is the same for this man. And if a person needs a car, let him buy a car with his own money.
It appears that this does not require an answer; because the compensation must be in exchange for the service. Just as an employee does not accept the state reducing any part of his salary, so it is obligatory that he not reduce any part of the state's right. Therefore, it is not permissible for a person to be late to official work or to leave before it ends.
The questioner: But some people make the excuse that there is no work at all, because the work is light?The Shaykh: The important thing is that you are bound to a time, not to work.Meaning: You were told: this salary is on the condition that you attend from such a time to such a time, whether there is work or there is no work. So as long as the reward is tied to a time, this time must be fully utilized.Meaning: This time must be fulfilled, otherwise our taking of what we were not present for would be invalid.
The questioner: Likewise, using government cars outside of official work hours?The Shaykh: Using government cars during official work hours or outside of official work hours, if it is not for the benefit of the work, is not permissible; because these cars belong to the state and for the state's work, so it is not permissible for anyone to use them for his personal work. The problem is that some people are lax regarding the wealth of the state, claiming that they have a right in the public treasury.And we say: If you have a right in the public treasury, then every individual among the people also has a right in the public treasury. So why do you single yourself out and use it for yourself? Would you not prevent someone else from the people, who may be more deserving than this man, from using this car for his personal purposes? So it is the same for this man. And if a person needs a car, let him buy a car with his own money.