THE PAYMENT OF DUES

Trust Factor

A BELIEVER has important responsibilities towards both God and man. His duty towards God means believing in God and His attributes, worshipping Him, regarding himself accountable to God and making himself ready to carry out wholeheartedly any such demands that God may make upon him.

Another responsibility of the believer is one which concerns the rights of human beings. This responsibility devolves upon him in his relations with others. Every person with whom he has dealings with has some rights over him. It is incumbent upon a believer to fulfil those rights, failing which he will not be deserving of God’s succour.

The following is an example which discusses the responsibilities of a believing employer towards his employee.

According to a saying of the Prophet, God said: “I will become a claimant against the person who engaged a labourer, made him labour fully, but did not pay the wages.” On another occasion the Prophet of Islam observed: “Pay the labourer his wages before his sweat dries up.”

In this world, it repeatedly happens that one person employs another. In all such matters Islam enjoins the full payment of wages without any delay. After getting the work done, asking the labourer to come the next day for payment is extremely inconsiderate, and as such Islam forbids it.

Just as an employer needs the services of an employee, so also does the employee need compensation for his labour. This is a twosided demand. When the worker has finished his work, it becomes incumbent on the employer to refrain from placing any obstacle in the way of payment of the sum he has promised. In cases where wages or compensation have not been fixed in advance, Islam demands that for all services rendered, commensurate requital should be made in one form or another. If this cannot be done, for any reason, in material terms, the services should be fully acknowledged and publicly commended, and supplications made to God for the performer of the services.

Paying immediate recompense on completion of a task increases mutual trust in society. Any practice contrary to this will cause society as a whole to fall prey to misgivings about a lack of trustworthiness in their fellow men.