What is the ruling of Islamic Law on colleagues alternating overtime shifts and receiving wages for absent days?
All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
An employee is religiously obligated to abide by the instructions and regulations pertaining to overtime hours. Furthermore, it is mandatory to adhere to honesty and avoid deceit, circumvention, and falsehood. Allah Almighty says (what means): "O you who have believed, be conscious of Allah and be with those who are truthful."
(At-Tawbah/119).
Therefore, whoever is assigned to work overtime must remain present at the designated workplace, even if no active tasks are required of them during that time.
Likewise, the official authorized to approve overtime work must comply with all established conditions and regulatory guidelines. It is impermissible for them to grant overtime hours in violation of system regulations. Should any compensation be disbursed in contravention of these official rules, it is unlawful to accept or consume such wages. And Allah Almighty knows best.
What is the ruling on performing istinja' before every ablution?
Istinja' is not from the conditions for the validity of ablution. It is only obligatory for prayer when there is impurity from urine or stool on the private part, or if there is fear of the impurity spreading to the body or clothing. And Allah the Almighty knows best.
Who is required to give fidyah for fasting?
Fidyah—feeding one needy person for each missed fasting day—is required for:
1. Those who are permanently unable to fast, such as:
○ Elderly men and women who are too weak to fast.
○ People with chronic illnesses that have no hope of recovery.
2. Pregnant or breastfeeding women who break their fast out of fear for their child (fetus or infant).
3. A person who delays making up Ramadan fasts (qada) until the next Ramadan begins, without a valid excuse.
4. The estate of a deceased person who had missed obligatory fasts and had the ability to make them up but did not do so.
What is the wisdom behind the legislation of fasting?
Fasting is a divine school from which the believer learns much and trains in virtues that may be needed in life. Among these virtues is patience, as it is the month of patience. Fasting also teaches honesty and consciousness of Allah in both private and public, for there is no observer over the fasting person in abstaining from lawful pleasures except Allah alone.
Fasting strengthens willpower, sharpens determination, and nurtures mercy and compassion among the servants of Allah. It is a struggle against the self, a restraint of desires, a purification of the soul, and a cultivation of goodness.
The Prophetﷺ said: "Allah, the Almighty, said: ‘Every deed of the son of Adam is for him, except for fasting; it is for Me, and I shall reward for it. Fasting is a shield. So when one of you is fasting on a day, let him not engage in obscene speech or raise his voice in anger. If someone insults him or fights him, let him say: I am a fasting person. By Him in whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, the breath of the fasting person is more pleasant to Allah than the fragrance of musk.’" [Bukhari and Muslim]
