FatwaFederal TerritoriesTransactions & Finance
IRSYAD HUKUM SIRI KE-789: HUKUM PEKERJA MENGAMBIL DUIT GAJI SECARA SEMBUNYI KERANA TIDAK DIBAYAR MAJIKAN
What is the ruling on an employee secretly taking his unpaid wages from the employer's property, and is this considered theft?
Short answer
If the wage was agreed upon in the contract but a wrongful employer refuses to pay, the Shafi'i school permits the employee to take from the employer's property under conditions.
A reference, not a fatwa. First sentence of the summary below — read the original fatwa and consult your state authority before acting.
- Authority
- Federal Territories Mufti Office
- Date
- Status
- Opinion (irsyad)
- Series
- Irsyad al-Hukum (Umum)
- Topic
- Transactions & Finance
No evidence of gazettement in the source — this is not a gazetted fatwa.
Summary
If the wage was agreed upon in the contract but a wrongful employer refuses to pay, the Shafi'i school permits the employee to take from the employer's property under conditions. The conditions are that the employer refuses to pay, the employee has reported to the authorities or a judge without obtaining justice, and the amount taken does not exceed what is owed. If no wage was stipulated or agreed in the contract before the work, secretly taking wages is regarded as theft and the property must be returned.
Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.
Mengambil harta majikan yang zalim secara sembunyi sebagai ganti kepada gaji yang tidak diberikan adalah harus sekiranya dalam keadaan terdesak, di mana laporan kepada pihak berautoriti telah dilakukan namun masih tidak mendapat keadilan yang sewajarnya.
Read the full fatwa on the Federal Territories website (new tab)
How to cite
Cite the original fatwa and its authority. Rujuk Fatwa is only where you found it.
Federal Territories Mufti Office. “IRSYAD HUKUM SIRI KE-789: HUKUM PEKERJA MENGAMBIL DUIT GAJI SECARA SEMBUNYI KERANA TIDAK DIBAYAR MAJIKAN”, 27 July 2023. https://muftiwp.gov.my/ms/artikel/irsyad-hukum/umum/5704-irsyad-al-fatwa-siri-ke-789-hukum-pekerja-mengambil-duit-gaji-secara-sembunyi-kerana-tidak-dibayar-majikan. Found via Rujuk Fatwa: https://rujukfatwa.com/en/fatwa/ruling-employee-secretly-taking-unpaid-wages/