Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah

Can I pay a fixed fee for a service which may depend on a variable like the weather eg. pay someone $100 to shovel my driveway for the whole winter season? If it snows less, he benefits but if it snows more, I benefit.

· 27 Dhuʻl-Qiʻdah 1430 AH1 min readFatwa 18373English

Question

Can I pay a fixed fee for a service which may depend on a variable like the weather eg. pay someone $100 to shovel my driveway for the whole winter season? If it snows less, he benefits but if it snows more, I benefit.

Answer

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

It is permissible to pay a fixed fee for a service which may depend on an unpredictable variable such as the weather. However, this fee must be paid for the service of the hired individual and not his time.

(Ahsan ul-Fatawa, 7/ 314-315, Saeed)

And Allah knows best

Wassalaamu `alaykum

Ml. Sajid bin Shabbir,
Student Darul Iftaa

Checked and Approved by:

Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa

References (Arabic / Urdu sources)

إذا استأجر رجلا ليعمل له عملا اليوم إلى الليل بدرهم صباغة أو خبزا أو غير ذلك فالإجارة فاسدة في قول أبي حنيفة رحمه الله تعالى وفي قولهما يجوز استحسانا ويكون العقد على العمل دون اليوم حتى إذا فرغ منه نصف النهار فله الأجر كاملا وإن لم يفرغ في اليوم فله أن يعمله في الغد...
(الفتاوى العالمكيرية، 4/ 477، العلمية)

Answered by
Ml. Sajid bin Shabbir
Checked & approved by
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
View original Compare with other Darul Iftas
Questions about this ruling, answered only from the archive with sources.

Where scholars differ, it’s safer to take the more cautious view.

Fatawa SA is an independent, read-only index of fatawa already published by Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah. It is not a fatwa service. For your own situation, please ask a Mufti. Report an issue

For corrections or mistakes, please email us at fatawasa786@gmail.com.

Source: Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah — https://askimam.org/public/question_detail/18373
Fatawa SA: https://fatawa.co.za/fatwa/askimam-18373

Related fatawa