Islamic Economics Centre (DaruliftaAhlesunnat)
(Dawateislami -Darulifta Ahle Sunnat)
Question
What do the religious scholars say regarding the practice in our area where taxi or rickshaw drivers at the time of deciding fare just say "pay whatever you feel is appropriate" or "give as much as you wish"? What is the ruling on this practice of setting fare?
بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ
According to Islamic principles, it is necessary for the remuneration (fare/wage) to be clearly specified in an Ijarah (rental/employment contract). If the remuneration (fare/wage) is left unknown, the contract becomes invalid (Fasid). In the case of an invalid ijarah contract, if the service is utilized, it is obligatory to pay the customary remuneration (Ujrat-ul-Misl) for that service.
In the scenario mentioned, where taxi or rickshaw drivers ask passengers to pay "whatever they feel is right" or "whatever they wish," this practice is not permissible because it leaves the fare unspecified, making the contract invalid. In such cases, the passengers must pay the customary fare (Ujrat-ul-Misl) for that distance or service, which is usually given by the people in that area. Although this fare itself is halal (permissible), making such a contract is sinful, and one must repent and refrain from this in the future.
Regarding the ruling of an invalid Ijarah (i.e. Fasid) agreement, it is stated in Durr-ul-Mukhtar:
”(حکم الاول)وھو الفاسد (وجوب اجر المثل بالاستعمال)“
Translation: The ruling of an invalid Ijarah (الاجارة الفاسده) is that upon utilization, paying the customary remuneration becomes obligatory. (Durr-ul-Mukhtar Ma Raddul Muhtar, Vol. 9, Pg. 75, Published in Quetta)
One of the conditions for a valid Ijarah agreement is that the remuneration must be specified, as mentioned in Majalla al-Ahkam al-Adliyya:
”يشترط ان تکون الاجرۃ معلومۃ“
Translation: It is a condition that the remuneration must be specified.(Majalla-Tul-Ahkam-il -Adaliyya, Pg. 86, Published in Karachi)
Imam-e-Ahle-Sunnat, Imam Ahmed Raza Khan (رحمه الله) writes in Fatawa Razawiyyah regarding an Invalid Ijarah (الاجارة الفاسده):
”اجارہ فاسدہ میں بھی بعد استیفائے منفعت اُجرت، کہ یہاں وہی اجر مثل ہے، واجب ہوجاتی ہے ۔۔۔۔۔ اس ملک میں خبث بھی نہیں ہوتا، اجیر کے لئے طیب ہوتی ہے اگرچہ اصل عقد گناہ وفاسد تھا۔“
Translation: Even in an invalid Ijarah (الاجارة الفاسده), after utilizing the service, the remuneration i.e. customary fare becomes obligatory……This remuneration is free of filth (خبث) for the employee if he owns it. It is pure (طيب) for him although the original agreement was sinful and invalid.(Fatawa Razawiyya, Vol. 19, Pg. 535, Raza Foundation Lahore)
Failure to specify the remuneration also makes the Ijarah invalid (i.e. Fasid),as Sadrush-Shariah Mufti Muhammad Amjad Ali Azmi (رحمه الله) mentioned in Bahar-e-Shariat:
”جہالت سے اجارہ فاسد ہوجاتا ہے۔ اس کی چند صورتیں ہیں: جو چیز اُجرت پر دی جائے وہ مجہول ہویامنفعت کی مقدار مجہول ہو یعنی مدت بیان میں نہیں آئی مثلاًمکان کتنے دنوں کے لیے کرایہ پر دیا یا اُجرت مجہول ہو یعنی یہ نہیں بیان کیا کہ کرایہ کیا ہوگا۔“
Translation: lack of specification makes the Ijarah invalid (i.e. Fasid). There are several forms of this: when the item given for rent is unknown, when the quantity of benefit (like duration) is unspecified for example days of renting a house are unknown, and when the remuneration is unknown for example rental was not specified. (Bahar-e-Shariat, Vol. 3, Pg. 141, Maktaba-tul-Madina Karachi)
Sadrush-Shariah Mufti Muhammad Amjad Ali Azmi (رحمه الله) while mentioning the ruling on Invalid Ijarah writes:
”اجارہ فاسدہ کا حکم یہ ہے کہ اس استعمال کرنے پر اُجرت مثل لازم ہوگی اور اس میں تین صورتیں ہیں: اگر اُجرت مقرر ہی نہیں ہوئی یا جو مقرر ہوئی معلوم نہیں ، ان دونوں صورتوں میں جو کچھ اُجرت مثل ہو دینی ہوگی۔“
Translation: The ruling for an invalid (i.e. Fasid) Ijarah is that upon utilization, the customary remuneration (Ujrat-ul-Misl) becomes obligatory. There are three scenarios in this regard: First, wage is not fixed at all, secondly, it is fixed, but it is unknown. In both cases it is obligatory to pay customary wage (Ujrat-ul-Misl). (Bahar-e-Shariat, Vol. 2, Pg. 141, Maktaba-tul-Madina Karachi)
Answered By:Abu Muhammad Mufti Ali Asghar Attari Madani
Ref No:IEC-0151
Date: 29th Rajab 1445 AH / 10th February 2024 CE
Translated by Maulana Abdul Wajid Madani
وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَرَسُوْلُہ اَعْلَم صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم