Can a client be billed for future services which were then cancelled?
| Fatwa #1573 | Category: Business & Trade | Country: | Date: 6th October 2025 |
| Fatwa #1573 | Date: 6th October 2025 |
| Category: Business & Trade | |
| Country: | |
Question
Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh
I have a question to ask. Islamically is it permissible for one to get money for services not provided.
Example. I run a physio department and I do charge per session.
My client wanted to pay for physio done for her daughter whose needs long-term physio. We resolved that my client will pay 400 dollars a month for 8 sessions. And i had stipulated a fixed time for her and for which I was tied to her schedule and not readily available for any other client l.For each session done there will be a $50 charge. We started the sessions and after 3 sessions my client stopped attending the physio lessons due to her critical illness. And has now decided to terminate her physio sessions.
My question is what will it be permissible for me to charge her extra above the 3 sessions. Meaning the remaining 5 sessions.
جزاک اللہ خیرا
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
In principle, an ijaarah (service contract) cannot be cancelled unilaterally unless there is genuine justification for it.[1] In the enquired situation, the critical illness of your patient is justified reason to cancel the future physio sessions. Similarly, a patient retains the right to cancel treatment should he/she change their mind. Accordingly, you cannot charge them for sessions not provided even though you scheduled that time for them.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Bilal Pandor
Concurred by
Mufti Nabeel Valli
Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah
Lusaka, Zambia
درر الحكام شرح مجلة الأحكام – ط. العلمية (1/ 413) [1]
– ( الْمَادَّةُ 443 ) لَوْ حَدَثَ عُذْرٌ مَانِعٌ لِإِجْرَاءِ مُوجَبِ الْعَقْدِ تَنْفَسِخُ الْإِجَارَةُ , مَثَلًا : لَوْ اُسْتُؤْجِرَ طَبَّاخٌ لِلْعُرْسِ وَمَاتَ أَحَدُ الزَّوْجَيْنِ تَنْفَسِخُ الْإِجَارَةُ وَكَذَلِكَ مَنْ كَانَ فِي سِنِّهِ أَلَمٌ وَقَاوَلَ الطَّبِيبَ عَلَى إخْرَاجِهِ بِخَمْسِينَ قِرْشًا ثُمَّ زَالَ الْأَلَمُ بِنَفْسِهِ تَنْفَسِخُ الْإِجَارَةُ وَكَذَلِكَ تَنْفَسِخُ الْإِجَارَةُ بِوَفَاةِ الصَّبِيِّ , أَوْ الظِّئْرِ وَلَا تَنْفَسِخُ بِوَفَاةِ الْمُسْتَرْضِعِ . قَوْلُهُ ( لِإِجْرَاءِ مُوجَبِ الْعَقْدِ ) : أَيْ الْعَمَلِ بِمُقْتَضَى عَقْدِ الْإِجَارَةِ , وَمُوجَبُ بِصِيغَةِ اسْم الْمَفْعُولِ . قَوْلُهُ ( لَوْ حَدَثَ عُذْرٌ مَانِعٌ ) : كَأَنْ لَا يَبْقَى مَحَلٌّ لِإِجْرَاءِ مُوجَبِ الْعَقْدِ . إنَّ الْمَادَّةَ ( 580 ) فَرْعٌ لِهَذِهِ الْمَادَّةِ كَمَا سَتَعْلَمُ فِي شَرْحِهَا . لِذَلِكَ الْمَانِعِ أَنْوَاعٌ عِدَّةٌ : النَّوْعُ الْأَوَّلُ : إذَا كَانَ بِاسْتِيفَاءِ الْمَعْقُودِ عَلَيْهِ ضَرَرٌ بِالنَّفْسِ أَوْ الْمَالِ فَتُفْسَخُ الْإِجَارَةُ ; لِأَنَّهُ لَمَّا كَانَتْ الْمَنَافِعُ غَيْرَ مَقْبُوضَةٍ وَذَلِكَ الْعُذْرُ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْعَيْبِ فِي الْبَيْعِ قَبْلَ الْقَبْضِ فَقَدْ جَازَ فَسْخُهَا لِأَجْلِ الْعُذْرِ ( الزَّيْلَعِيُّ ) . تُفْسَخُ الْإِجَارَةُ إذَا اسْتَلْزَمَتْ ضَرَرًا لَيْسَ مِنْ مُقْتَضَى الْعَقْدِ إذْ لَا يَجُوزُ تَحْمِيلُ أَحَدِ الْعَاقِدَيْنِ ضَرَرًا لَا يَقْتَضِيهِ عَقْدُ الْإِجَارَةِ . ( رَاجِعْ الْمَادَّةَ 19 )
درر الحكام شرح مجلة الأحكام – ط. العلمية (1/ 413)
وَيَتَفَرَّعُ عَنْ هَذَا بَعْضُ مَسَائِلَ نَذْكُرُهَا فِيمَا يَلِي….
8 – وَكَذَلِكَ إذَا كَانَ فِي سِنِّهِ أَلَمٌ وَقَاوَلَ الطَّبِيبَ عَلَى إخْرَاجِهِ بِخَمْسِينَ قِرْشًا ثُمَّ زَالَ الْأَلَمُ بِنَفْسِهِ ( الدُّرُّ الْمُخْتَارُ ) ; إذْ لَوْ لَمْ تَنْفَسِخْ تِلْكَ الْإِجَارَةُ وَقُلِعَتْ السِّنُّ الَّتِي زَالَ الْأَلَمُ مِنْهَا لَكَانَ فِيهِ مِنْ الضَّرَرِ عَلَى نَفْسِ الْمُسْتَأْجِرِ مَا فِيهِ وَهُوَ غَيْرُ جَائِزٍ شَرْعًا وَعَقْلًا . عَلَى أَنَّ لَهُ فَسْخَهَا وَإِنْ لَمْ يَزُلْ الْأَلَمُ ; لِأَنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ لَا يُجْبَرُ عَلَى إتْلَافِ جَسَدٍ إذْ قَدْ يَحْصُلُ لِلِّثَةِ ضَرَرٌ مِنْ جَرَّاءِ إخْرَاجِ السِّنِّ ( الشُّرُنْبُلَالِيُّ ) . 9 – إذَا اسْتَأْجَرَ جَرَّاحًا لِقَطْعِ مَا ظَهَرَ فِي عُضْوٍ مِنْ أَعْضَائِهِ مِنْ الْقُرُوحِ الْآكِلَةِ – كَالسَّرَطَانِ – ثُمَّ عَزَمَ عَلَى عَدَمِ الْقَطْعِ كَانَ ذَلِكَ عُذْرًا مُوجِبًا لِفَسْخِ الْإِجَارَةِ ( الْهِنْدِيَّةُ فِي الْبَابِ التَّاسِعَ عَشَرَ )