Fatwa ID: 06554
Answered by: Alimah Zakiratul Hoque
Question:
I have been appointed as a contractual project associate in a Government department. This department has not been inaugurated yet as It has been started for the first time here. Our work has not started yet and we have free time for the whole day. We have to mark our attendance regularly but there is no one to see it. I am expecting this time and travelling to and fro becomes a bit hard for me. Our Project head is a lenient person. so if we approach him in case we want to take off but mark our attendance by ourselves or any other person he might allow it this time. Please let me know if this would be permissible. And also without his permission if we mark him as present would that be jaiz.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
If you speak to your project head and he allows your absence or allows you to mark yourself in then leave, it would be permissible.
You should not do so without his permission.
Marking yourself as present and then leaving, with your superiors assuming that you are still present, is deceitful and a form of lying.
Abdullah (Ra) reports from the Prophet ﷺ: It is obligatory for you to tell the truth, for the truth leads to virtue and virtue leads to Paradise, and the man who continues to speak the truth and endeavours, to tell the truth, is eventually recorded as truthful with Allah, and beware of telling of a lie for telling of a lie leads to obscenity and obscenity leads to Hell-Fire, and the person who keeps telling lies and endeavours to tell a lie is recorded as a liar with Allah (Sahih Muslim, 2607) (1)
Abdullah bin Amr (Ra) narrated: The Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever has the following four (characteristics) will be a pure hypocrite and whoever has one of the following four characteristics will have one characteristic of hypocrisy unless and until he gives it up: Whenever he is entrusted, he betrays; whenever he speaks, he tells a lie; whenever he makes a covenant, he proves treacherous; whenever he quarrels, he behaves in a very imprudent, evil and insulting manner.” (Sahih Al Bukhari, 34) (2)
Also, if you mark yourself in and then leave, or if you get someone else to mark you in whilst you’re not there, it could lead to other problems in the future. It may negatively affect your attendance, your relationship with your superiors, potential contracts in the future, etc, all of which should be avoided (Qawaaid Fiqhiyyah, Pg 41). (3)
The best thing to do is to speak to your project manager about the situation and act accordingly. You should not try to do things without his knowledge or permission, as that could result in future problems.
(1)
عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَلَيْكُمْ بِالصِّدْقِ فَإِنَّ الصِّدْقَ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْبِرِّ وَإِنَّ الْبِرَّ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ وَمَا يَزَالُ الرَّجُلُ يَصْدُقُ وَيَتَحَرَّى الصِّدْقَ حَتَّى يُكْتَبَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ صِدِّيقًا وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَالْكَذِبَ فَإِنَّ الْكَذِبَ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْفُجُورِ وَإِنَّ الْفُجُورَ يَهْدِي إِلَى النَّارِ وَمَا يَزَالُ الرَّجُلُ يَكْذِبُ وَيَتَحَرَّى الْكَذِبَ حَتَّى يُكْتَبَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ كَذَّابًا
(2)
عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ أَرْبَعٌ مَنْ كُنَّ فِيهِ كَانَ مُنَافِقًا خَالِصًا، وَمَنْ كَانَتْ فِيهِ خَصْلَةٌ مِنْهُنَّ كَانَتْ فِيهِ خَصْلَةٌ مِنَ النِّفَاقِ حَتَّى يَدَعَهَا إِذَا اؤْتُمِنَ خَانَ وَإِذَا حَدَّثَ كَذَبَ وَإِذَا عَاهَدَ غَدَرَ، وَإِذَا خَاصَمَ فَجَرَ
(3)
الضرر يزال
Only Allah knows best.
Written by Alimah Zakiratul Hoque
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
