Shaikh Zayd al-Madkhali rahimahullah was asked:
Question: May Allah be good to you, the questioner from France said: I am responsible for my work. And when we do our work well and quickly, I am given a gift above [my salary] for work. However, the manager does not know that. Is there anything against me?
Answer: “No, no it is not allowed for you to conspire in the likes of this. If bigger manager who owns [the business] and knows it and prevents it, then it is not allowed for the smaller manager to take something except with the permission of the bigger manager. So do not take anything except with the permission of the bigger manager who owns the material”.
Shaikh al-Albani rahimahullah was asked:
Question: It is well-known that there are some workers that work for a specific benefit. So you find that the customers present tips in accordance to their condition. In another situation, some workers themselves request tips. So what is the religious ruling on this affair? Jazakallahu Khairan
Shaikh: As for requesting for a tip, then this is a humiliation. It is not allowed for the Muslim to expose to it due to the statement of the Prophet (ﷺ) said:
يد العليا هي المعطية واليد السفلى هي الآخذة
The upper hand is the hand that gives. The lower hand is the one is the one that takes
And he said (ﷺ) :
لا تسألوا الناس شيئا ولو أعطني السوط
Do not ask the people anything even if it is to say: give me the whip
This Hadith is understood with you? Good. So how can one ask for money and he does not deserve it and it is not from his right? As for if the customers give him from himself then here it is necessary to have the following elaboration. If what he is given was due to the work he did and which his employer requested him and he did not do an action which the employer does not know of and the customer gives it to him from his own good will and from his heart, then it is permissible. As for if the employee did for this customer an action not known to the employer, then this is illegal wealth for him. Clear? May Allah reward you with good
Questioner: May Allah bless you
[Silsilatul-Huda wan-Nur no. 708]
Translated by
Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan
