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Gifts given to the employee by customers

Question

I am aware that while an employee is working for his employer all gifts given to him by customers of his employer are not to be collected and if collected they are for the employer. But sometimes when we go to site to do some jobs for our company, customers offer us food, drinks accommodation or transport and other things that are not monetary. The company gives us money for these needs. The customers regard this as being part of kindness. Can we take this offers from the customers and then take for ourselves what we would have spent on these needs were they not taken care of by the customers from what the company as given us to take care of these needs. Since if the customers had not offered us we would have spent the money on those necessities.

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

It is not permissible for you to accept food or accommodation which the work site offered you; the ruling on this is the same as that of a gift. The gift usually leads to soften someone's heart. Most likely, accepting this service from the people of those sites would lead you to be kind towards them on the expense of the company for which you work. The evidence on this is that your company offered you enough travel expenses in order to work in that site, so you were not in need to accept what other related companies offered you.

Allaah Knows best.

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