Paying a salary to an old employee who is unable to work

Question

Question: Zayd has been employed at a madrasa for 45 years. Every year he also collected donations for two months. Now he has become very weak and has no means of livelihood. The teachers who collect donations now are paid a salary for that month of duty as well. What is the ruling on paying the old teacher a salary for 20 years of duty, given that he is ill and utterly without means of livelihood?

Answer

Since there was previously no agreement and no mention regarding him of a salary for this duty, there is now no right to pay a salary in this manner for the past 20 years. If something is fixed for the future, acting accordingly will be correct. If he is able to do the work of an administrator and finds it manageable, it is correct to keep him on as administrator.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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