Sunnats and Aadaab relating to the Employer and Employee – Part 4

1. If the employer assigns any task to the employee, then he should ensure that he does not overburden him with what he cannot manage. If fulfilling the task is difficult, then he should assist him in completing it or make arrangements for someone to assist him in completing it.

وعن أبي ذر قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: هم إخوانكم، جعلهم الله تحت أيديكم، فمن جعل الله أخاه تحت يده، فليطعمه مما يأكل، وليلبسه مما يلبس، ولا يكلفه من العمل ما يغلبه، فإن كلفه ما يغلبه فليعنه عليه (صحيح بخاري، الرقم: 6050)

Hazrat Abu Zar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said, “They (your slaves) are your brothers whom Allah Ta‘ala has placed under your control. Hence, if Allah Ta‘ala has placed one’s brother under his control, then he should feed him from that which he eats, clothe him from that which he wears, and he should not burden him with work that he cannot manage. If he burdens him with work that he cannot manage, then he should assist him in fulfilling it.”

Note: The above Hadith is in regard to the slaves which a person owns. When we are taught to be kind and considerate to the slaves that we own, then to be kind and considerate to our employees (who are not in our ownership) is even more important.