Is it permissible for an employee to read Qur’aan during work hours?
Question What is the ruling on an employee reading Qur’aan during official work hours at the company’s expense?. Praise be to Allah. If that is at the company’s expense – as mentioned in the question – then it is not permissible, because the employee has agreed with the workplace that he will do the work…
Question
Praise be to Allah.
If that is
at the company’s expense – as mentioned in the question – then it is not
permissible, because the employee has agreed with the workplace that he will
do the work that he is entrusted with, adhering to the daily work hours. So
if he does not work complete hours, or falls short in his work, that is
forbidden, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“O you
who believe! Fulfil (your) obligations”
[al-Maa’idah 5:1]
And the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The Muslims
are bound by their conditions.” Narrated by Abu Dawood (3594), classed as
saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
But if his
reading Qur’aan does not affect his work performance, there is nothing wrong
with that in sha Allaah.
Shaykh Ibn
‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: If an employee has
finished his work and he wants to make use of the time by reading Qur’aan or
reading something useful, or even wants to take a nap so that he can rest a
little, is there anything wrong with that?
He replied:
There is
nothing wrong with that so long as he has completed the work that he was
entrusted with. But if he is negligent or falls short in doing his work,
then it is haraam for him and it is not permissible. As for taking a nap,
there is no concession with regard to that, because he will have no control
over himself and he may sleep and miss his work without realizing. End quote
from Fataawa al-Huqooq, compiled by Abu Khaalid al-Juraysi, p. 59.
See also the
answer to Question no. 9374.
And Allaah
knows best.
