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Do I have to pay the full amount even though I never attended the lessons?

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Askimam.org

my friend enrolled on an arabic course taught by an aalim, at the time of enrollment he signed a registration form that stated that he would pay £120 at the outset in june and £50 in december when the course was to complete.
The applicant declaration also stated ‘by making this application for the arabic level 1 course at the chosen venue, i acknowledge that the course duration will be as stated in the course descriptor, i also accept to pay the amount chosen in section 5 ie 120 +50 and understand that the full payment will be non-refundable’
The course consisted of about 20 lessons taught in four different masjids.

my friend attended the first lesson and had every intention of completing the course , however as he has to commute a considerable distance for work purposes, he realised after the first lesson and making the initial payment  that he would not be able to put the time and effort into the course for him to benefit.

also he had member of his household whom had been taken seriousely ill(long term condition) and thus would not be able to dedicate his efforts to the course due to looking after this person when he returned from work.
He explained all this to the course instructor in a respectful way and hoped he would express sympathy with him as to his conditions,  yet he chose to say that the payment he had made was non-refundable as he had expenses such as cost of renting the rooms in the masjid.

so my friend had paid 120 pounds for attending 1 of 20 lessons, he was not too impressed by the nature of this lack of sympathy  yet he paid it and left it at that.

Now he has received a message some 6 months later form the same aalim instructing him to make the final payment of the remaining £50 pounds as he had signed the agreement , the aalim has acknowledged the fact that he had very genuine issues and that he only attended 1 lesson but yet he has demnaded this payment.
My friend wants to know what is his position in this, is he obliged to pay the money as he has signed the agrrement or not,  as a side note my friend is not concerned regarding the monetary amount and is more than willing to give that amount away in charity moreover it is the lack of compassion and demanding nature of the request that he takes issue with.

In a time when the majority of our ummah is little concerned with aquiring religious knowledge and instruction, is this the sort of action the ulema should be taking to try to attract people towards these courses as this will only leave a bitter taste in the mouth for the  masses.

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

The Arabic course offered in reference falls under the category of Ijarah (hiring)

We observe the conditions of a valid Ijarah are found in the contract in reference.

  •  The contract was to teach in Arabic,
  • The period of teaching and lessons were specified,
  • The fees were also specified and the period of payment,
  • We also understand that the course is offered to many students and there are expenses incurred in facilitating the course.

You friend has entered into a valid Ijarah contract and he is bound by the contract. He chose to enrol for the course in spite of him knowing his personal circumstances at that time. Accordingly, your friend is bound to honour the contract and pay the balance.1

We appreciate your friend’s feelings and sentiments. However, it is also important to consider the efforts and sacrifices and risks involved in offering such courses. If people are left free to enrol for such courses and simply drop of the expenses incurred to facilitate such courses, such an attitude will be detrimental to those sacrificing their time and resources to offer such courses.

If your friend is prepared to give£50 in charity, it will be more rewarding for him to honour his contract. In doing so, he will be fulfilling an obligation and also acquiring the reward of charity for himself.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Huzaifah Deedat

Student Darul Iftaa
Lusaka, Zambia

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

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مجلة الأحكام العدلية (ص: 105)

(الْمَادَّةُ 562) تَجُوزُ إجَارَةُ الْآدَمِيِّ لِلْخِدْمَةِ أَوْ لِإِجْرَاءِ صَنْعَةٍ بِبَيَانِ مُدَّةٍ أَوْ بِتَعْيِينِ الْعَمَلِ

مجلة الأحكام العدلية (ص: 105)

(الْمَادَّةُ 568) لَوْ اُسْتُؤْجِرَ أُسْتَاذٌ لِتَعْلِيمِ عِلْمٍ أَوْ صَنْعَةٍ فَإِنْ ذُكِرَتْ مُدَّةٌ انْعَقَدَتْ الْإِجَارَةُ عَلَى الْمُدَّةِ حَتَّى أَنَّ الْأُسْتَاذَ يَسْتَحِقُّ الْأُجْرَةَ لِكَوْنِهِ حَاضِرًا وَمُهَيَّأً لِلتَّعْلِيمِ قَرَأَ التِّلْمِيذُ , أَوْ لَمْ يَقْرَأْ.

شرح مجلة الأحكام للأتاسي

لو استؤجر استاذ لتعليم علم أو صنعة وسميت الأجرة فإن ذكرت مدة انعقدت الإجارة صحيحة على المدة حتى أن الأستاذ يستحق الأجرة بكونه حاضرا ومهيئا للتعليم تعلم التلميذ أو لم يتعلم وإن لم تذكر مدة انعقدت الإجارة فاسدة وعلى هذا الوجه إن تعلم التلميذ فالأستاذ يستحق الأجرة وإلا فلا

قال في الخانية رجل استأجر رجلا ليعلم عبده أو ولده الحرفة فيه روايتان: فإن بين لذلك وقتا معلوما سنة أو شهرا جازت الإجارة ويستحق المسمى تعلم العبد أو لم يتعلم وإن لم يبين لذلك وقتا لا تصح الإجارة وله أجر المثل إن تعلم الولد أو العبد وإن لم يتعلم فلا أجر له اه

وانظر ما لو تعلم بعض الصنعة هل يلزمه أجرة مثل ما تعلمه؟ الظاهر نعم ويظهر لي أنه إنما يشترط ذكر المدة لصحة الإجارة إذا كان الأستاذ أجيرا خاصا بأن اشترط عليه أن لا يعلم في تلك المدة أحدا غير من استؤجر لتعليمه فيصير المعقود عليه منفعة الأستاذ في ذلك الوقت فبجرد حضوره وتيئة نفسه للتعليم يستحق الأجر المسمى حصل التعليم فعلا أو لا كما هو الحكم في الأجير الخاص المذكور في المادة 422 إما إذا كان الأستاذ أجيرا عاما كمؤدب الأطفال في زماننا فلا يشترط لصحة استئجاره بيان المدة بل يكفي بيان مقدار الأجرة مع بيان العمل وهو تعليم القرآن العظيم فلو دفع رجل ولده لمؤدب الأطفال ليعلمه القرآن العظيم بمائة قرش مثلا ولم يذكر لذلك مدة تصح الإجارة ويلزمه المسمى إذا علمه القرآن العظيم ولو علمه البعض كان له بنسبة المسمى فإن علمه النصف كان له نصف المسمى وهكذا على ما عليه الأكثرون كما تقدم في شرح المادة 424 نعم لو لم يذكر الأجرة يستحق أجر المثل بالغا ما بلغ لفساد الإجارة وقد أجاب في الفتاوى الحامدية عن رجل دفع ولده الصغير إلى مؤدب الأطفال ليعلمه القرآن العظيم فلما علمه إلى أن قارب الربع أخذه أبوه منه فرارا من أن يعطيه الحلاوة المرسومة ولم يشرطا أجرا بقوله يؤمر الوالد بتطييب قلب المعلم وإرضائه كما صرح بذلك في البزازية

وصرح في التاترخانية نقلا عن المحيط بأنه عند عدم الإستئجار يجب أجر المثل وبمثله فتى علامة فلسطين الخير الرملي

وذكر في الخانية رجل استأجر معلما سنة ليعلم ولده القرآن فمضت ستة أشهر ولم يتعلم كان له أن يفسخ الإجارة وذكر المسألة في الهندية ثم قال ما رأيت رواية في هذا لكن أفتى الشيخ الإمام علي الإسبيجابي فأفتيت أنا أيضا كذا في الصغرى

درر الحكام شرح مجلة الأحكام-ن1 (3/ 343)

 لَوْ اُسْتُؤْجِرَ أُسْتَاذٌ لِتَعْلِيمِ عِلْمٍ أَوْ صَنْعَةٍ فَإِنْ ذُكِرَتْ مُدَّةٌ انْعَقَدَتْ الْإِجَارَةُ عَلَى الْمُدَّةِ حَتَّى أَنَّ الْأُسْتَاذَ يَسْتَحِقُّ الْأُجْرَةَ لِكَوْنِهِ حَاضِرًا وَمُهَيَّأً لِلتَّعْلِيمِ قَرَأَ التِّلْمِيذُ ، أَوْ لَمْ يَقْرَأْ وَإِنْ لَمْ تُذْكَرْ مُدَّةٌ انْعَقَدَتْ إجَارَةً فَاسِدَةً ، وَعَلَى هَذِهِ الصُّورَةِ إنْ قَرَأَ التِّلْمِيذُ فَالْأُسْتَاذُ يَسْتَحِقُّ الْأُجْرَةَ ، وَإِلَّا ، فَلَا إذَا اُسْتُؤْجِرَ أُسْتَاذٌ لِتَعْلِيمِ عِلْمٍ كَالْفِقْهِ وَالنَّحْوِ وَالصَّرْفِ وَالطِّبِّ وَالنُّجُومِ وَاللُّغَةِ وَالْأَدَبِ وَالْخَطِّ وَالْحِسَابِ ، أَوْ أَيْ صَنْعَةٍ فَإِنْ ذُكِرَتْ مُدَّةٌ كَالشَّهْرِ وَالسُّنَّةِ وَذُكِرَتْ الْأُجْرَةِ أَيْضًا صَحَّتْ الْإِجَارَةُ وَانْعَقَدَتْ عَلَى الْمُدَّةِ حَتَّى أَنَّ الْأُسْتَاذَ يَسْتَحِقُّ الْأُجْرَةَ لِكَوْنِهِ حَاضِرًا وَمُهَيِّئًا لِلتَّعْلِيمِ قَرَأَ التِّلْمِيذُ ، أَوْ لَمْ يَقْرَأْ ( عَلِيٌّ أَفَنْدِي ) ؛ لِأَنَّهُ لَمَّا بُيِّنَتْ فِي الْإِجَارَةِ الْأُجْرَةُ وَعُيِّنَتْ الْمُدَّةُ انْعَقَدَتْ الْإِجَارَةُ صَحِيحَةً وَمَتَى سَلَّمَ الْأُسْتَاذُ نَفْسَهُ لِلتَّعْلِيمِ وَكَانَ مُسْتَعِدًّا لِلْقِيَامِ بِذَلِكَ مُدَّةَ الْإِجَارَةِ اسْتَحَقَّ الْأُجْرَةَ ؛ لِأَنَّ الْأُسْتَاذَ قَدْ أَصْبَحَ أَجِيرًا خَاصًّا لَكِنْ لَيْسَ لِلْأُسْتَاذِ الِامْتِنَاعُ عَنْ التَّعْلِيمِ وَإِنْ امْتَنَعَ فَلِلْمُسْتَأْجِرِ فَسْخُ الْإِجَارَةِ ( الْبَزَّازِيَّة

This answer was collected from Askimam.org, which is operated under the supervision of Mufti Ebrahim Desai from South Africa.

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