Q. I work at a mechanic’s shop and the owner is muslim. Sometimes while working on a car things break. Do I have to ask forgiveness for accidently or intentionally breaking something like when I want to open a bolt, a clip was in the way so I break it to move the bolt, but others in the shop can open it without breaking it as they are more experienced than me. So what do I have to do if I break something? When I break something the owner says its between me and the customer. Sometimes he won’t tell them that something broke but he will lessen the price, so what do I have to do if I break something?
A. If you have broken anything while working on a car, then you are responsible for replacing it. Whether this has occurred accidentally or intentionally, you need to replace the part with a similar one. If it is a new part, you need to put a new part, and if it is a used part, then you need to replace it with a used part. You also need to inform the ‘’boss’ of what has taken place, and if you are not replacing the part, then you need to inform the customer of what has happened. If the customer forgives you, and does not request you to replace the part, then you will be exempted from this. However, if the customer demands that you replace the part, then you must do it.
This act of breaking a part in a person’s car (accidentally or intentionally) without replacing it, or informing the customer, can cause accidents on the road. You therefore, need to do the right thing, as I have mentioned above, and this is the Islamic guideline on this matter.
And Allah knows best.
Mufti Waseem Khan