Forcing laborers to work in the hot summer sun is forbidden (haram) in Islam and contradicts the basic objectives of the Islamic Shariah, Dr. Ali Bin Abbas Al-Hakami, member of the Board of Senior Ulema and member of the Supreme Judicial Council, has said. Denouncing those who give scant respect to this basic philosophy of Islamic Shariah and force laborers to toil in oppressive heat, Dr. Al-Hakami in a statement said Islam orders everyone to be kind and considerate to laborers who are in the lowest strata of society. “If a worker is not strong enough to carry out a given task, he should be provided with another worker to help him rather than forcing him to do the work alone,” the scholar said. He said being considerate of laborers and the conditions in which they are forced to work is not restricted to a specific season; it should continue throughout the year. Company owners, he said, should not overburden workers, and should not force them to work more than the specified period unless they are compensated accordingly. The best example of the treatment of servants, the scholar said, was set by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who never scolded or got angry with any of his subordinates. Dr. Al-Hakami cited the case of Anas Bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) who claimed that during his two decades of serving the Prophet (pbuh) he was never once scolded. There are several Ahadith (sayings of the Prophet) calling on Muslims to be sympathetic and kind to their servants, the scholar said. He said Islam guarantees a worker his rights and grants him periods of rest including Eid holidays, weekly days off, sick leave and social holidays to make his life easier. He said Allah does not burden any soul except with what it can bear. Al-Hakami said the state has issued a regulation banning laborers from being forced to work outdoors in extreme summer temperatures and the law will be implemented next year. He stressed the necessity for individuals, companies and establishments and all sectors to comply with the directives and implement them. He said if a worker suffers harm due to working in unsuitable conditions, then he has the right to take his case to a court of law. If it is proven that the employer had forced the worker to work beyond his capacity or in very high temperatures, then the judge can issue a verdict to compensate the worker. “If a worker's death is due to sunstroke as a result of being forced to work in the hot sun and there is proof of this, then the dead worker's family can demand blood-money,” the scholar said.
