What is our position regarding the oppression of guarantors toward workers, their failure to give them their rights, and their shortchanging of their wages?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you, O honorable Shaykh.
The Shaykh : And upon you peace and the mercy of Allah
The questioner : My question is that many of the workers who came to serve in this country mix with us and work with us in schools and mosques, and often their rights are shortchanged and their wages are delayed for many months, to the extent that some of them wanted to perform Hajj this year, but their guarantors refused to let them go unless they signed receipts for their wages for ten months or more.
The Shaykh : I seek refuge in Allah.
The questioner : My question is what we must do to condemn this evil, and will our consciences be at ease if we report this to the government officials?
The Shaykh : Yes, the reality is that this brother’s question is an important one, because many of the guarantors are doing this, and there are many complaints raised to us and to others on this subject.
And the truth is that it is a serious phenomenon, and we fear that we will be struck by the wrath of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), which will affect the righteous and the wicked alike, because when people’s rights are shortchanged, Allah the Exalted sent a messenger specifically to remove this shortchanging, and that was Shu'ayb.[Al-A'raf 7:85] Shortchanging people of their things is corruption in the earth, a corruption that affects the righteous and the wicked alike. So it is obligatory for us all to address this problem.
We must do two things: advise the guarantor and warn him of Allah, and tell him to listen to the words of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) in what he reported from his Lord, that Allah said:Sahih al-Bukhari 2270.
So let him advise him, advise this guarantor, 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 if he takes heed through the restraint of the ruler. But if he does not stop 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 complaints and testimony. We have the right to complain about this guarantor who has wasted the right of his dependent, because we fear that the punishment for these calamities will encompass us. So we complain and testify that this guarantor has wasted the right of this poor man who left his family, his homeland, and his companions to live and support his family, and then this oppressive man comes and does not give him his right.
And the government must deter such a guarantor with a deterrent that restrains him and his like, even if it means selling his property to pay these poor people whose rights he has wasted. Because if the restraint of faith is weak, then the restraint of the ruler must be strong, for if both the restraint of faith and the restraint of the ruler are weak, matters will slip out of control and rights will not be upheld. So my advice to these guarantors is to fear Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and to be afraid of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and to give these people their rights. And who knows, perhaps one day this guarantor will be like these dependents.
For the people in our country, decades ago, used to go to Sham, 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 they were. So let them fear Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and give these people their rights before they die, so that the rights of these people are taken from the good deeds of these guarantors. If there are good deeds left for the guarantors, otherwise they will be taken from the bad deeds of the dependents and placed upon them, and they will be thrown into the Fire, may Allah protect us from that. This is the word of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). Also, I advise my believing brothers, the citizens who have zeal for their brothers and for their country, to advise these guarantors. If advice does not benefit them, let them raise their matter to the government and insistently request from the government
The Shaykh : And upon you peace and the mercy of Allah
The questioner : My question is that many of the workers who came to serve in this country mix with us and work with us in schools and mosques, and often their rights are shortchanged and their wages are delayed for many months, to the extent that some of them wanted to perform Hajj this year, but their guarantors refused to let them go unless they signed receipts for their wages for ten months or more.
The Shaykh : I seek refuge in Allah.
The questioner : My question is what we must do to condemn this evil, and will our consciences be at ease if we report this to the government officials?
The Shaykh : Yes, the reality is that this brother’s question is an important one, because many of the guarantors are doing this, and there are many complaints raised to us and to others on this subject.
And the truth is that it is a serious phenomenon, and we fear that we will be struck by the wrath of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), which will affect the righteous and the wicked alike, because when people’s rights are shortchanged, Allah the Exalted sent a messenger specifically to remove this shortchanging, and that was Shu'ayb.
and do not deprive people of their due and cause not corruption upon the earth after its reformation
ولا تبخسوا الناس أشياءهم ولا تفسدوا في الأرض بعد إصلاحهاWe must do two things: advise the guarantor and warn him of Allah, and tell him to listen to the words of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) in what he reported from his Lord, that Allah said:
I will be an opponent to three types of people on the Day of Resurrection: -1. One who makes a covenant in My Name, but proves treacherous; -2. One who sells a free person and eats his price; and -3. One who employs a laborer and takes full work from him but does not pay him for his lab our.
ثلاثة أنا خصمهم يوم القيامة رجل أعطى بي ثم غدر ورجل باع حرا فأكل ثمنه ورجل استأجر أجيرا فاستوفى منه ولم يعطه أجرهSo let him advise him, advise this guarantor, 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 if he takes heed through the restraint of the ruler. But if he does not stop 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 complaints and testimony. We have the right to complain about this guarantor who has wasted the right of his dependent, because we fear that the punishment for these calamities will encompass us. So we complain and testify that this guarantor has wasted the right of this poor man who left his family, his homeland, and his companions to live and support his family, and then this oppressive man comes and does not give him his right.
And the government must deter such a guarantor with a deterrent that restrains him and his like, even if it means selling his property to pay these poor people whose rights he has wasted. Because if the restraint of faith is weak, then the restraint of the ruler must be strong, for if both the restraint of faith and the restraint of the ruler are weak, matters will slip out of control and rights will not be upheld. So my advice to these guarantors is to fear Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and to be afraid of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and to give these people their rights. And who knows, perhaps one day this guarantor will be like these dependents.
For the people in our country, decades ago, used to go to Sham, 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 they were. So let them fear Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and give these people their rights before they die, so that the rights of these people are taken from the good deeds of these guarantors. If there are good deeds left for the guarantors, otherwise they will be taken from the bad deeds of the dependents and placed upon them, and they will be thrown into the Fire, may Allah protect us from that. This is the word of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). Also, I advise my believing brothers, the citizens who have zeal for their brothers and for their country, to advise these guarantors. If advice does not benefit them, let them raise their matter to the government and insistently request from the government