Is my income Halal if I did not strictly abide by certain conditions
| Fatwa #2272 | Category: Business & Trade | Country: Morocco | Date: 16th February 2026 |
| Fatwa #2272 | Date: 16th February 2026 |
| Category: Business & Trade | |
| Country: Morocco | |
Question
Assalamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,
I was offered an online teaching job. Before starting, I underwent one month of training and was instructed to follow a specific teaching methodology. I verbally agreed to follow this methodology, understood it, and intended to apply it. However, this requirement was not explicitly mentioned in the written contract, it was only mentioned verbally.
However, after beginning the job, I did not adhere to the methodology fully. In most sessions, I followed parts of it but not completely, and in a few instances I believe I did not follow it at all. Despite this, I did fulfill the core responsibility of teaching the subject.
The contract states that if the company is not satisfied with a teacher’s work, they may choose not to pay for those sessions, but it does not specify detailed criteria for satisfaction. The company has already paid me for the past three months, and payment for the current month is pending. My work was not actively monitored or reviewed during this period.
My questions are:
Is the income I have received (and am due to receive) halal, given that I did not fully adhere to the agreed methodology?
Am I Islamically required to inform them explicitly about my past shortcomings, or is it sufficient to correct my approach going forward and fully comply with their methodology?
If the income is deemed haram, am I required to return the payment for the previous three months (even though it has already been spent), as well as decline the pending payment?
Jazakum Allahu khayran.
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
Given that this condition is not written in your contract, and the employer themselves have found no reason yet to object to your work ethic, your income is Halal and there is no need to inform anyone about anything.
Education is naturally such a field that it is seldom possible to rigidly stick to one specific method. Therefore, whilst you should remain cautious not to deviate too strongly from the methodology required, there is leniency in the matter as the ultimate objective is to fulfill the core responsibility of teaching the subject adequately.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Bilal Pandor
Concurred by
Mufti Muhammad Patel
Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah
Lusaka, Zambia