Can a Mortgage Accountant Claim Unpaid Wages?
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
Is it permissible to pursue unpaid wages through legal means if I previously recorded mortgage interest at work without knowing it was impermissible, but later stopped and repented? Could seeking my dues still be valid, or might this be a form of worldly punishment for that past action?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
I hope you are well and in good faith. Thank you for your question and for showing mindfulness in your work and life.
As an administrative accountant, you were not involved in the actual interest charging. Your work of claiming it from the debtor or pursuing it for that matter, by merely making entries in the books of accounts, does not make you liable to fall within the range of the prohibition mentioned in the hadith.
If more than 51% of a company engages in haram activities, it is permissible to receive a salary for services rendered to that company, provided those services are permissible. Thus, if you have unpaid wages through legal means, it would be permissible for you to do so. [‘Uthmani, Contemporary Fatawa]
I would like you to go through the valuable answers and links below. Insha’Allah, you will receive guidance and direction.
Related
Why not begin your search for knowledge by signing up for a course on SeekersGuidance? You can choose from the Islamic Studies Curriculum or the Youth Islamic Studies Curriculum and progress through each course step by step.
I pray this helps with your question.
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat
Mawlana Ilyas Patel has received traditional education in various countries. He started his schooling in the UK and completed his hifz of the Quran in India. After that, he joined an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied secular and Aalimiyya sciences. Later, he traveled to Karachi, Pakistan, and other Middle Eastern countries to further his education. Mawlana has served as an Imam in the Republic of Ireland for several years and taught the Quran and other Islamic sciences to both children and adults. He also worked as a teacher and librarian at a local Islamic seminary in the UK for 12 years. Presently, he lives in the UK with his wife and is interested in books and gardening.
