What does Islam say about the rights of workers and employees?

The short answer

Islam requires employers to agree fair terms, pay wages in full and on time, and not burden workers beyond their capacity. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Give the worker his wages before his sweat dries", and Allah says He will be the opponent on the Day of Resurrection of whoever takes full work from a labourer and does not pay him. Workers, in turn, owe strength and trustworthiness.

Evidence 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Explanation

Pay on time, in full. "Give the worker his wages before his sweat dries" 1. In a hadith qudsi, Allah says He will be against three people on the Day of Resurrection, including "one who employs a laborer and gets the full work done by him but does not pay him his wages" 2. The Prophet ﷺ himself "would never withhold the wages of any person" 3. Delaying salaries, unpaid overtime and "forgetting" invoices are forms of this injustice.

Do not overburden. Speaking about slaves and servants under a person's command, whom he called "your brothers", the Prophet ﷺ said: "Do not ask them to do things beyond their capacity (power) and if you do so, then help them", and told their masters to feed them from what they eat and clothe them from what they wear 4. Scholars apply this principle of dignity and reasonable workload, all the more, to free employees. He also interceded for a cupper so that his masters reduced the daily amount they charged him 5.

Agree clear, fair terms. When the father of the two women of Madyan hired Musa (AS), he stated the term of service clearly and added, "I do not wish to put you in difficulty" 6. Clear contracts prevent disputes and injustice. Cutting what people are owed is condemned throughout the Quran: "do not deprive the people of their due" 7.

The worker's side. The best person to hire, the Quran says, is "the strong and the trustworthy" 6: someone competent who does the job honestly. An employee who wastes paid time, steals or neglects the work is breaking a trust too.

A workplace built on these principles, fair pay, fair load and honest work, is one Allah blesses.

The evidence

  1. 1
    Hadith Sunan Ibn Majah 2443
    Sahih graded by Al-Albani

    Give the worker his wages before his sweat dries.

    It was narrated from 'Abdullah bin 'Umar that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:“Give the worker his wages before his sweat dries.”

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنَا الْعَبَّاسُ بْنُ الْوَلِيدِ الدِّمَشْقِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا وَهْبُ بْنُ سَعِيدِ بْنِ عَطِيَّةَ السُّلَمِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ أَعْطُوا الأَجِيرَ أَجْرَهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَجِفَّ عَرَقُهُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

  2. 2
    Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari 2227
    Sahih Bukhari

    Allah will oppose on Judgment Day the one who takes full work from a labourer and does not pay him.

    Narrated Abu Huraira:The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Allah says, 'I will be against three persons on the Day of Resurrection: -1. One who makes a covenant in My Name, but he proves treacherous. -2. One who sells a free person (as a slave) and eats the price, -3. And one who employs a laborer and gets the full work done by him but does not pay him his wages

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنِي بِشْرُ بْنُ مَرْحُومٍ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سُلَيْمٍ، عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ أُمَيَّةَ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ قَالَ اللَّهُ ثَلاَثَةٌ أَنَا خَصْمُهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، رَجُلٌ أَعْطَى بِي ثُمَّ غَدَرَ، وَرَجُلٌ بَاعَ حُرًّا فَأَكَلَ ثَمَنَهُ، وَرَجُلٌ اسْتَأْجَرَ أَجِيرًا فَاسْتَوْفَى مِنْهُ، وَلَمْ يُعْطِ أَجْرَهُ ‏"‏‏.‏

  3. 3
    Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari 2280
    Sahih Bukhari

    The Prophet ﷺ never withheld the wages of anyone.

    Narrated Anas:The Prophet (ﷺ) used to get cupped and would never withhold the wages of any person

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مِسْعَرٌ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ عَامِرٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَنَسًا ـ رضى الله عنه ـ يَقُولُ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَحْتَجِمُ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ يَظْلِمُ أَحَدًا أَجْرَهُ‏.‏

  4. 4
    Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari 30
    Sahih Bukhari

    Do not burden slaves and servants under your command beyond their capacity; if you do, help them.

    Narrated Al-Ma'rur: At Ar-Rabadha I met Abu Dhar who was wearing a cloak, and his slave, too, was wearing a similar one. I asked about the reason for it. He replied, "I abused a person by calling his mother with bad names." The Prophet said to me, 'O Abu Dhar! Did you abuse him by calling his mother with bad names You still have some characteristics of ignorance. Your slaves are your brothers and Allah has put them under your command. So whoever has a brother under his command should feed him of what he eats and dress him of what he wears. Do not ask them (slaves) to do things beyond their capacity (power) and if you do so, then help them

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ وَاصِلٍ الأَحْدَبِ، عَنِ الْمَعْرُورِ، قَالَ لَقِيتُ أَبَا ذَرٍّ بِالرَّبَذَةِ، وَعَلَيْهِ حُلَّةٌ، وَعَلَى غُلاَمِهِ حُلَّةٌ، فَسَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ، فَقَالَ إِنِّي سَابَبْتُ رَجُلاً، فَعَيَّرْتُهُ بِأُمِّهِ، فَقَالَ لِيَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ يَا أَبَا ذَرٍّ أَعَيَّرْتَهُ بِأُمِّهِ إِنَّكَ امْرُؤٌ فِيكَ جَاهِلِيَّةٌ، إِخْوَانُكُمْ خَوَلُكُمْ، جَعَلَهُمُ اللَّهُ تَحْتَ أَيْدِيكُمْ، فَمَنْ كَانَ أَخُوهُ تَحْتَ يَدِهِ فَلْيُطْعِمْهُ مِمَّا يَأْكُلُ، وَلْيُلْبِسْهُ مِمَّا يَلْبَسُ، وَلاَ تُكَلِّفُوهُمْ مَا يَغْلِبُهُمْ، فَإِنْ كَلَّفْتُمُوهُمْ فَأَعِينُوهُمْ ‏"‏‏.‏

  5. 5
    Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari 5696
    Sahih Bukhari

    The Prophet ﷺ paid a cupper and interceded to have his masters reduce his daily charge.

    Narrated Anas:that he was asked about the wages of the one who cups others. He said, 'Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was cupped by `Abd Taiba, to whom he gave two Sa of food and interceded for him with his masters who consequently reduced what they used to charge him daily. Then the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The best medicines you may treat yourselves with are cupping and sea incense.' He added, "You should not torture your children by treating tonsillitis by pressing the tonsils or the palate with the finger, but use incense

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مُقَاتِلٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، أَخْبَرَنَا حُمَيْدٌ الطَّوِيلُ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّهُ سُئِلَ عَنْ أَجْرِ الْحَجَّامِ، فَقَالَ احْتَجَمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم حَجَمَهُ أَبُو طَيْبَةَ، وَأَعْطَاهُ صَاعَيْنِ مِنْ طَعَامٍ، وَكَلَّمَ مَوَالِيَهُ فَخَفَّفُوا عَنْهُ، وَقَالَ ‏"‏ إِنَّ أَمْثَلَ مَا تَدَاوَيْتُمْ بِهِ الْحِجَامَةُ وَالْقُسْطُ الْبَحْرِيُّ ‏"‏‏.‏ وَقَالَ ‏"‏ لاَ تُعَذِّبُوا صِبْيَانَكُمْ بِالْغَمْزِ مِنَ الْعُذْرَةِ، وَعَلَيْكُمْ بِالْقُسْطِ ‏"‏‏.‏

  6. 6
    Quran Al-Qasas · 28:26–27

    The best to hire is the strong and trustworthy; the employer set clear terms and did not wish to burden Musa.

    قَالَتۡ إِحۡدَىٰهُمَا يَٰٓأَبَتِ ٱسۡتَـٔۡجِرۡهُۖ إِنَّ خَيۡرَ مَنِ ٱسۡتَـٔۡجَرۡتَ ٱلۡقَوِيُّ ٱلۡأَمِينُ ۝٢٦ قَالَ إِنِّيٓ أُرِيدُ أَنۡ أُنكِحَكَ إِحۡدَى ٱبۡنَتَيَّ هَٰتَيۡنِ عَلَىٰٓ أَن تَأۡجُرَنِي ثَمَٰنِيَ حِجَجࣲۖ فَإِنۡ أَتۡمَمۡتَ عَشۡرࣰ ا فَمِنۡ عِندِكَۖ وَمَآ أُرِيدُ أَنۡ أَشُقَّ عَلَيۡكَۚ سَتَجِدُنِيٓ إِن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ ۝٢٧

    26 One of the women said, "O my father, hire him. Indeed, the best one you can hire is the strong and the trustworthy 27 He said, "Indeed, I wish to wed you one of these, my two daughters, on [the condition] that you serve me for eight years; but if you complete ten, it will be [as a favor] from you. And I do not wish to put you in difficulty. You will find me, if Allah wills, from among the righteous

  7. 7
    Quran Hud · 11:85

    Give full measure and do not deprive people of their due.

    وَيَٰقَوۡمِ أَوۡفُواْ ٱلۡمِكۡيَالَ وَٱلۡمِيزَانَ بِٱلۡقِسۡطِۖ وَلَا تَبۡخَسُواْ ٱلنَّاسَ أَشۡيَآءَهُمۡ وَلَا تَعۡثَوۡاْ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ مُفۡسِدِينَ ۝٨٥

    And O my people, give full measure and weight in justice and do not deprive the people of their due and do not commit abuse on the earth, spreading corruption

This answer was compiled with the help of AI, using only the verified texts shown here. Every reference links to its source. If you find a mistake, please report it. Updated 2026-09-24

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