Prohibiting the shortchanging of people in their possessions
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His Eminence the Shaykh: Many of the workers who come to work in this country mix with us; they work with us in schools and mosques, and often their rights are shortchanged, and their salaries are delayed for many months. Some of them even wanted to perform Hajj this year, but their sponsors refused to sign for the receipt of their salaries for ten months or more.My question is: What is obligatory for us to do to forbid this evil? And are we absolved of our responsibility if we report it to the government officials?
In reality, this brother’s question is an important one, as many sponsors fall into this, and there are many complaints raised to us and to others on this matter. The truth is that it is a serious phenomenon, and we fear that we will be afflicted by a scourge from Allah (Mighty and Majestic) that will encompass the righteous and the wicked; because shortchanging people of their rights is a serious matter. Indeed, Allah the Exalted sent a messenger specifically to remove this shortchanging,And he is Shu'ayb (peace be upon him): [Al-A'raf: 85] .
Shortchanging people of their possessions is corruption on earth; corruption that encompasses the righteous and the wicked.It is obligatory for us all regarding this problem to do things: Advising the sponsor and warning him of Allah,And that it be said to him: Listen to the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) in what he narrated from his Lord: (Allah said: "Three are my adversaries on the Day of Resurrection: a man who gave by Me and then betrayed, a man who sold a free man and consumed his price, and a man who hired a worker and took full benefit from him but did not give him his wage") .
So we advise this sponsor and warn him of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). If he takes heed through the restraint of faith and the admonition of the Qur'an, that is what we want, and it is better than taking heed through the restraint of authority. If he does not desist and persists in shortchanging this poor worker of his right, then it is obligatory for us to raise the matter to the authorities and to submit our complaint and testimony.
We have the right to complain about this sponsor who has lost the right of his sponsored worker; because we fear that the punishment for these calamities will encompass us. So we complain and testify that this sponsor has lost the right of this poor man who left his family, his homeland, and his companions to live, he and his family. Then this unjust man comes and does not give him his right. The government must restrain such a sponsor with a deterrent that warns him and his like, even if it means selling his assets to pay these poor people whose rights he has lost. Because if the restraint of faith weakens, the restraint of authority must be strengthened; because if the restraint of faith and the restraint of authority weaken, matters will slip away and rights will not be fulfilled.
So my advice to these sponsors is to fear Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and to fear Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He), and to give these people their rights. We do not know, perhaps one day will come when this sponsor will be like these sponsored workers. Indeed, the people in our country, decades ago, used to go to Syria, Iraq, and India seeking a livelihood because they were poor. And if Allah had not blessed us with the sources of this oil, we would be in a worse state than them. So let them fear Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and let them give these people their rights before they die; so that the rights of these people are taken from their good deeds. If there are no good deeds left for the sponsors, then it will be taken from the bad deeds of the sponsored workers and placed upon them, and then they will be thrown into the Fire, may Allah protect us from that. This is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
I also advise my believing citizen brothers who have zeal for their brothers and for their country to advise these sponsors. If advice does not benefit them, they should raise their matter to the government, and they should insistently ask the government to punish these sponsors with a severe punishment that deters them and their like, lest the punishment encompass us and them.
Many sponsors also absent themselves from the offices and travel to other countries, and perhaps they hide in their homes, as has happened to us many times. When we are given the sponsor's phone number and we call him several times, we do not find him. Yes, perhaps they hide. In this case, we are unable to give advice.
It is obligatory for us to raise the matter to the authority, and the authority itself should fear Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and give these oppressed people their rights and take revenge on the one who shortchanged them of their right and lost it.
In reality, this brother’s question is an important one, as many sponsors fall into this, and there are many complaints raised to us and to others on this matter. The truth is that it is a serious phenomenon, and we fear that we will be afflicted by a scourge from Allah (Mighty and Majestic) that will encompass the righteous and the wicked; because shortchanging people of their rights is a serious matter. Indeed, Allah the Exalted sent a messenger specifically to remove this shortchanging,And he is Shu'ayb (peace be upon him):
and do not deprive people of their due and cause not corruption upon the earth after its reformation
وَلا تَبْخَسُوا النَّاسَ أَشْيَاءَهُمْ وَلا تُفْسِدُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ بَعْدَ إِصْلاحِهَاShortchanging people of their possessions is corruption on earth; corruption that encompasses the righteous and the wicked.It is obligatory for us all regarding this problem to do things: Advising the sponsor and warning him of Allah,And that it be said to him: Listen to the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) in what he narrated from his Lord: (Allah said: "Three are my adversaries on the Day of Resurrection: a man who gave by Me and then betrayed, a man who sold a free man and consumed his price, and a man who hired a worker and took full benefit from him but did not give him his wage") .
So we advise this sponsor and warn him of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). If he takes heed through the restraint of faith and the admonition of the Qur'an, that is what we want, and it is better than taking heed through the restraint of authority. If he does not desist and persists in shortchanging this poor worker of his right, then it is obligatory for us to raise the matter to the authorities and to submit our complaint and testimony.
We have the right to complain about this sponsor who has lost the right of his sponsored worker; because we fear that the punishment for these calamities will encompass us. So we complain and testify that this sponsor has lost the right of this poor man who left his family, his homeland, and his companions to live, he and his family. Then this unjust man comes and does not give him his right. The government must restrain such a sponsor with a deterrent that warns him and his like, even if it means selling his assets to pay these poor people whose rights he has lost. Because if the restraint of faith weakens, the restraint of authority must be strengthened; because if the restraint of faith and the restraint of authority weaken, matters will slip away and rights will not be fulfilled.
So my advice to these sponsors is to fear Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and to fear Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He), and to give these people their rights. We do not know, perhaps one day will come when this sponsor will be like these sponsored workers. Indeed, the people in our country, decades ago, used to go to Syria, Iraq, and India seeking a livelihood because they were poor. And if Allah had not blessed us with the sources of this oil, we would be in a worse state than them. So let them fear Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and let them give these people their rights before they die; so that the rights of these people are taken from their good deeds. If there are no good deeds left for the sponsors, then it will be taken from the bad deeds of the sponsored workers and placed upon them, and then they will be thrown into the Fire, may Allah protect us from that. This is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
I also advise my believing citizen brothers who have zeal for their brothers and for their country to advise these sponsors. If advice does not benefit them, they should raise their matter to the government, and they should insistently ask the government to punish these sponsors with a severe punishment that deters them and their like, lest the punishment encompass us and them.
Many sponsors also absent themselves from the offices and travel to other countries, and perhaps they hide in their homes, as has happened to us many times. When we are given the sponsor's phone number and we call him several times, we do not find him. Yes, perhaps they hide. In this case, we are unable to give advice.
It is obligatory for us to raise the matter to the authority, and the authority itself should fear Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and give these oppressed people their rights and take revenge on the one who shortchanged them of their right and lost it.