I Spilled Some Soda During a Food Delivery, but Didn’t Inform the Customer, Is My Income from This Work Considered Unlawful?
Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick
Question
I spilled some soda during a food delivery, but didn’t inform the customer. I still received the full payment. The company said I didn’t owe anything. I used the money to help pay a phone bill. Is my income from this work considered unlawful?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Especially Merciful. May Allah guide every dimension of our lives to that which pleases Him. May Allah bless you for your concern regarding the integrity of your income. Such care reflects a believer’s sincerity in seeking Allah’s pleasure.
Your income, based on your description, is lawful, and Allah knows best.
Accidents and Liability in Islamic Law
If the spill occurred unintentionally and without deliberate negligence, then it is considered an accident, and you are not sinful for it. Since you were working on behalf of a company or platform that owns or manages the delivery, and they explicitly waived any liability, your responsibility in this matter is lifted.
Your income in this case is halal (lawful), as it was earned through a legitimate service, and the company chose to absorb the loss.
Allah Most High says, “Allah does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear.” [Quran, 2:286]
This verse affirms that unintentional errors, especially those beyond one’s control, do not place a person under a moral or legal burden in the sight of Allah.
Practical Guidance
- Maintain transparency going forward. Though you’re not blameworthy here, it’s better to notify the company or customer when any part of a delivery is compromised. This aligns with the Prophetic trait of trustworthiness (amana).
- Keep your earnings. You used your payment to meet a basic need, and there’s no requirement to replace or repay it.
- Sincere reflection is enough. If your heart still feels uneasy, consider offering a small act of charity as a way of spiritual purification, not out of obligation, but as a voluntary gesture of gratitude.
And Allah knows best.
[Shaykh] Irshaad Sedick
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Irshaad Sedick was raised in South Africa in a traditional Muslim family. He graduated from Dar al-Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah in Strand, Western Cape, under the guidance of the late world-renowned scholar Shaykh Taha Karaan (Allah have mercy on him), where he taught.
Shaykh Irshaad received Ijaza from many luminaries of the Islamic world, including Shaykh Taha Karaan, Shaykh Muhammad Awama, Shaykh Muhammad Hasan Hitu, and Mawlana Abdul Hafeez Makki, among others.
He is the author of the text “The Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal: A Hujjah or not?” He has been the Director of the Discover Islam Centre, and for six years, he has been the Khatib of Masjid Ar-Rashideen, Mowbray, Cape Town.
Shaykh Irshaad has fifteen years of teaching experience at some of the leading Islamic institutes in Cape Town. He is currently building an Islamic podcast, education, and media platform called ‘Isnad Academy’ and has completed his Master’s degree in the study of Islam at the University of Johannesburg. He has a keen interest in healthy Prophetic living and fitness.
