FULFILLING OTHERS’ RIGHTS

There is a narration in which God says: “On the Day of Judgment, I will be the claimant against three people. One of them will be the person who hired someone for work, benefited from the work, but did not pay him his wages.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 2227)

Ibn Majah reports from Abdullah ibn Umar that the Prophet of Islam said: “Pay the worker his wages before his sweat dries.” (Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith No. 2443 ).

In this world, it often happens that one person hires another for work. In every such case, Islam commands that full wages be paid—and that they be paid immediately upon completion of the work. To tell a worker, after the task is done, “Come back tomorrow for your payment” is an extremely inhumane act. Islam strictly forbids such a degrading practice.

If the one hiring someone needs the work to be completed, then the one doing the work needs to receive timely compensation for their effort. This is a mutual obligation. Once the worker has completed the task, it becomes incumbent upon the employer to ensure that the agreed-upon payment is made without delay and without giving any cause for complaint.

Where no fixed wage has been agreed upon, Islam still requires that the person be compensated in some meaningful way. If material compensation is not possible, then they should at least be thanked sincerely. Their effort should be acknowledged with an open heart, their work appreciated in front of others with kind words, and good prayers made for them to God.

Paying workers promptly builds mutual trust within society. But when this principle is ignored, it leads to widespread mistrust and suspicion across the community.