Cancelling appointments

QUESTION:-

1. If an appointment has been made and the person offering the service sets the time exclusively for that person, and then the person does not honor the appointment, neither does he inform of any cancellation prior to the appointed time, or they cancel after the appointment time has set in, are they liable to pay the fee even though the service wasn’t rendered?

2. Is it permissible to charge a cancellation fee if the appointment isn’t cancelled within the stipulated period of agreement?

ANSWER:-

1. If an appointment was fixed (on a particular day, at a particular time) and the client did not attend the appointment, nor did he request a cancellation before the appointment, the service provider will not be entitled to charge a fee in terms of Shariah. In the queried scenario, the service provider will only be entitled to charge a fee if some service was provided to the client, as the service provider falls in the category of an ‘Ajeer-e-Mushtarak’, or ‘shared employee’, who is entitled to a fee only after providing a service. In this instance, no service was rendered hence, the service provider will not be entitled to a fee.

However, if it is known to the clients that they will not be charged if an appointment is missed, it is possible that many will take advantage of the situation. Therefore, when making an appointment for clients, an undertaking should be taken from all clients that if they cannot honour their appointment, then they should inform the service provider in advance so that the slot may be offered to another client. And if they do not cancel their appointment, then they voluntarily agree to pay the full consultation fee. By agreeing to the above, the service provider will be entitled to charge the consultation fee if their absenteeism was not due to a valid reason.

أَحَدُهُمَا أَنَّ الْأَجِيرَ الْمُشْتَرَكَ لَا يَسْتَحِقُّ الْأُجْرَةَ حَتَّى يَفْرُغَ مِنْ عَمَلِهِ (العناية ص76 ج9)

“الأجراء على ضربين: أجير مشترك، وأجير خاص. فالمشترك من لا يستحق الأجرة حتى يعمل كالصباغ والقصار”؛ لأن المعقود عليه إذا كان هو العمل أو أثره كان له أن يعمل للعامة؛ لأن منافعه لم تصر مستحقة لواحد، فمن هذا الوجه يسمى مشتركا. (الهداية ص242 ج3)

قَالَ – رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ – (وَلَا يَسْتَحِقُّ الْأُجْرَةَ حَتَّى يَعْمَلَ كَالْقَصَّارِ وَالصَّبَّاغِ وَالْخَيَّاطِ وَالنَّسَّاجِ) لِأَنَّ الْإِجَارَةَ عَقْدُ مُعَاوَضَةٍ فَيَقْتَضِي الْمُسَاوَاةَ بَيْنَهُمَا كَمَا تَقَدَّمَ أَقُولُ: لَا يَخْفَى أَنَّ هَذَا اخْتَارَهُ الْقُدُورِيُّ فِي تَعْرِيفِ الْمُشْتَرَكِ وَلَمْ يَزِدْ عَلَيْهِ (البحر الرائق ص30 ج8)

وَقَالَ – عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ – «الْمُسْلِمُونَ عَلَى شُرُوطِهِمْ إلَّا شَرْطًا أَحَلَّ حَرَامًا أَوْ حَرَّمَ حَلَالًا (تبيين الحقائق ص149 ج2)

2. If an undertaking was taken from the client that a cancellation fee will be applicable (for admin costs) if the appointment is cancelled, and the client agrees to it, then such an arrangement is in order. However, the fee should be stipulated and fixed.

ALLAH TA’ALA ALONE IN HIS INFINITE KNOWLEDGE KNOWS BEST!

ANSWERED BY:-

Mufti Mohammed Desai

Date:-  22 Dhul Hijjah 1444 / 12 July 2023