Many Issues Including Not Allowed to Pray on Time at Work

24-6-2004 | IslamWeb

Question:

I'm a young man 40 years old. I 'm a Moroccan Muslim. When I was in my country I lived a hard life, I worked for family, my mother and sister, plus my wife. We were about nine people I could not support them I began filing for immigration to Canada; It will cost me about 15000 Canadian with a lawyer and travel expenses. But I don't have the money, I borrowed the money from the bank I reasoned that if I worked in Canada I would send them their money.
When I came here to Canada I worked with a small company paying me only 300 a week. It's not enough for living expenses because I have to pay rent and all the expenses. Then I have to send money to my mother because she doesn't have enough to live on. She is poor, and she lives with my two sisters. There is no one to take care of them; however I have to pay my debt, because now the bank has filed against me file in court. Now I can't go back to my country to see my family. No only that, but I want to pay my debt because I want to be in good standing with my God. I also want to go to hajj
To solve these problems I have to change jobs. It's not easy; my boss is good, he is from India and respects my religion. he lets me to go to Salat al Jumu'ah no one will do the same as he I explained every thing to him he proposes that I get a driver license to drive a truck because the company I work for now is a transportation company but when I call to the driving school they want 10,000(Canadian).
I don't have the money. I asked the government to pay it for me. They said that I would have to be in laid off (out of work).
My boss offered to declare me laid off and pay me cash until I start driving school, then I will leave my work to study in the driving school, when I get my driver's license I will work with him as a driver. My question is if I declared laid off and I work "under the table" (not paying taxes) is this Haram or Halal?
Tell me what I can do to solve my problems because I can't sleep, I always worry about the money to pay to the bank and I have to go to hajj, if I don't pay my debts, I can’t go to hajj, please help me. Please find me the solution. Thank you very much

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

Your question encompasses many different matters. We will answer them as follows:

If you are saying that your boss allows you to pray the Friday prayer but does not allow you to pray other prayers while at work, even if the timing of the prayer expires, or that you do not pray except the Friday prayer, then this is one of the grave major sins. You have, in this case, to repent to Allah and perform other prayers.

The Prayer is the backbone of the religion, and it is the one which distinguishes between Islam and Kufr (Disbelief). The Prophet said: “Between a person and disbelief and polytheism is abandoning the prayer.” [Muslim and Ahmed]

As regards pretending leaving your work in order to get the Social Welfare Allowance, which requires a person to totally stop working, then this is not permissible, as the Prophet said: “The Muslims should honor their conditions.” [Abu Daawood]

The Prophet also said:  “Whoever cheats is not one of us.” [Muslim]

With regard to working secretly in this company so that they would not pay tax on you, then imposing taxes on people without right is one of the major sins, whether it is by a non-Muslim or a Muslim country. This is taking people's money without right. The Law-maker warned us against this.

Imam Ahmed reported that ‘Uqbah Ibn Aamir narrated that the Prophet said: “Whoever imposes taxes will not enter paradise.” So if this is the case, then there is no harm to help this company avoid paying taxes, or avoid paying some of them, whenever possible without causing any harm.

However, if these taxes are imposed lawfully, for example, in order to provide the necessary services like education and health and the like, and if the treasury is unable to offer such services unless it imposes taxes, then, in this case, it is not permissible for you to help this company to avoid paying taxes, even if that leads you to leave your work if you are not in a state of necessity. In fact, when a Muslim enters a country with a pact, and its laws are not contrary to the Islamic Sharee’ah, then it is incumbent upon him to obey these laws and not help people avoid respecting these laws. The pact requires this. Allah says (what means): {And fulfill [every] commitment. Indeed, the commitment is ever [that about which one will be] questioned.} [Quran 17:34]

Concerning your debts, you have to pay them to the bank –whenever it is possible for you to do so. You have to pay back the exact amount without paying the interest if it is possible and if this does not cause you any harm.

With reference to your intention to perform Hajj (pilgrimage), you have to first repay your loans, and if you have enough money remaining after that, you have to go for Hajj if you have not previously performed it.

Finally, we advise you to fear Allah, The Most High, and endeavor to obey Him. Whoever obeys Allah, Allah will make a way out to his anxiety, and solve his difficulties, and will provide him from sources he never could imagine. Allah says (what means): {And whoever fears Allah - He will make for him a way out. And will provide for him from where he does not expect. And whoever relies upon Allah - then He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will accomplish His purpose. Allah has already set for everything a [decreed] extent.} [Quran 65:2-3]

Allah also says (what means): {And if only the people of the cities had believed and feared Allah, We would have opened upon them blessings from the heaven and the earth; but they denied [the messengers], so We seized them for what they were earning.} [Quran 7:96]

You have also to supplicate with the supplication of the Prophet “O, Allah, I take refuge in you from anxiety and sorrow, weakness and laziness, miserliness and cowardice, the burden of debts and from being overpowered by men.” [Ahmed with a sound chain of narrators]

Allah knows best.