Answered by Shaykh Y¨ūsuf Badāt
Question:
What is the ruling on rescheduling fees [which are more than the administrative cost to reschedule]? Would this fall under ta’zir bil-māl? What is the ruling on doctor cancellation fee if the doctor sees other patients in that time or does other work?
Answer:
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم
In the name of Allāh, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Jazāk Allāh Khayr/ Thank you for contacting Mathābah Institute.
Cancellation fees and or rescheduling fees are impermissible according to Islamic jurisprudence. Once a sale or service is completed at an agreed price, it can not be altered. An islamicaly appropriate method would be to charge an administration fee when the purchase for the service is made. If there is a loss incurred due to a customer/ client’s cancelation or rescheduling, then the amount of the loss can be charged to the client.
In Islam, once a transaction has been completed, and an amount has been agreed, an additional amount cannot be levied. This is because the sale is final. Cancelation of a transaction can only happen with the consent of both parties and is voluntary. This is known as iqālah which refers to the cancelation of a transaction. it is islamicaly permissible to cancel and obtain one’s refund for the cancelled purchase. This must be done with the approval and consent of both the seller and buyer. Khiyār sharṭ in islamic jurisprudence refers to a trial period after purchase. If the buyer is not satisfied with the product or service within a specified period, they may return the product or decline the service. This also must be done with the approval and consent of both the seller and buyer. – (Rad Al-Muḥtār, Vol 4, Page 565, Dār Al-Fikr[1], Al-Bināyah, Vol 8, Page 224, Dār Al-Kutub Al-‘Ilmiyyah[2])
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Whoever agrees with a believer to cancel a transaction, Allāh will forgive their sins [on Judgement Day.” – (Abū Dawūd 3460)[3]
Allāh’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Both the buyer and the seller have the option of canceling or confirming a bargain unless they separate, except in the situation of a conditional transaction, to choose to keep the product or return it.” – (Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhari 2111)[4]
Only Allāh knows best
[1] خِيَارِ الشَّرْطِ مِنْ إضَافَةِ الشَّيْءِ إلَى سَبَبِهِ لِأَنَّ الشَّرْطَ سَبَبٌ لِلْخِيَارِ بَحْرٌ فَإِنَّ الْأَصْلَ فِي الْعَقْدِ اللُّزُومُ مِنْ الطَّرَفَيْنِ، وَلَا يَثْبُتُ لِأَحَدِهِمَا اخْتِيَارُ الْإِمْضَاءِ أَوْ الْفَسْخِ وَلَوْ فِي مَجْلِسِ الْعَقْدِ عِنْدَنَا إلَّا بِاشْتِرَاطِ ذَلِكَ. (قَوْلُهُ: مُبَيَّنٌ فِي الدُّرَرِ) حَيْثُ قَالَ: بَعْدَ مَا تَرْجَمَ بِبَابِ خِيَارِ الشَّرْطِ وَالتَّعْيِينِ، وَقَدَّمَهُمَا عَلَى بَاقِي الْخِيَارَاتِ لِأَنَّهُمَا يَمْنَعَانِ ابْتِدَاءَ الْحُكْمِ، ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ خِيَارَ الرُّؤْيَةِ؛ لِأَنَّهُ يَمْنَعُ تَمَامَ الْحُكْمِ، وَأَخَّرَ خِيَارَ الْعَيْبِ؛ لِأَنَّهُ يَمْنَعُ لُزُومَ الْحُكْمِ. وَخِيَارُ الشَّرْطِ أَنْوَاعٌ: فَاسِدٌ وِفَاقًا، كَمَا إذَا قَالَ: اشْتَرَيْتُ عَلَى أَنِّي بِالْخِيَارِ أَوْ عَلَى أَنِّي بِالْخِيَارِ أَيَّامًا أَوْ أَبَدًا. وَجَائِزٌ وِفَاقًا، وَهُوَ أَنْ يَقُولَ عَلَى أَنِّي بِالْخِيَارِ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ فَمَا دُونَهَا. وَمُخْتَلَفٌ فِيهِ وَهُوَ أَنْ يَقُولَ عَلَى أَنِّي بِالْخِيَارِ شَهْرًا أَوْ شَهْرَيْنِ، فَإِنَّهُ فَاسِدٌ عِنْدَ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ وَزُفَرَ وَالشَّافِعِيِّ، جَائِزٌ عِنْدَ أَبِي يُوسُفَ وَمُحَمَّدٍ. اهـ. وَفِي الْبَحْرِ فَرْعٌ لَا يَصِحُّ تَعْلِيقُ خِيَارِ الشَّرْطِ بِالشَّرْطِ، فَلَوْ بَاعَهُ حِمَارًا عَلَى أَنَّهُ إنْ لَمْ يُجَاوِزْ هَذَا النَّهْرَ فَرَدَّهُ يَقْبَلُهُ وَإِلَّا لَا لَمْ يَصِحَّ وَكَذَا إذَا قَالَ: مَا لَمْ يُجَاوِزْ بِهِ إلَى الْغَدِ كَذَا فِي الْقُنْيَةِ. كتاب الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين رد المحتار ج٤/ ص٥٦٥ دار الفكر
[2] الإقالة جائزة في البيع بمثل الثمن الأول لا خلاف للأئمة الأربعة رَحِمَهُمُ اللَّهُ في جواز الإقالة ولأن الإقالة رفع العقد والعقد حق المتعاقدين وقد انعقد بتراضيهما فكان لهما رفعه دفعا للحاجة – كتاب البناية شرح الهداية ج٨/ ص٢٢٤ دار الكتب العلمية
[3] مَنْ أَقَالَ مُسْلِمًا أَقَالَهُ اللَّهُ عَثْرَتَهُ – أبو داؤد ٣٤٦٠
[4] عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ رضى الله عنهما أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ الْمُتَبَايِعَانِ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا بِالْخِيَارِ عَلَى صَاحِبِهِ مَا لَمْ يَتَفَرَّقَا إِلاَّ بَيْعَ الْخِيَارِ- رواه البخاري ٢١١١