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Fatwa CenterHe works night shift and sleeps during working hours
Question
Assalamo Alaikum WaRahmatullah, I recently started working as a security guard in an islamic school in a western county because the kuffar burned 2 of the classrooms about 6months ago so they had to get security guards. I work 12 hours night shifts 7pm till 7am and 4nights a week. As there is no one at school at night and I feel very tired at around midnight so I go to sleep for about 2.5 to 3 hours. My question is does this make the money that I earn harraam. I mean I dont get paid to sleep.
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, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.
First of all, you have to know that you are entrusted with that work, and the worker has to perform his assignment perfectly. It was narrated on the authority of ‘Aa'ishah 
that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: "Allaah loves when you do a work that you do it perfectly." [Al-Bayhaqi] Therefore, you are obliged to take the precautions which enable you to perform the task entrusted to you. For instance, you may take enough rest during the day which will help you remain awake during your shift in guarding. If you took all the necessary precautions but still you sometimes fell asleep without doing it deliberately, there would be no blame on you – Allaah Willing.
However, if there was any negligence on your part or you deliberately went to sleep, you would certainly be neglecting your work and would not deserve the salary except the amount paid for the actual working hours. As for the amount you took for the hours you slept it appears that it should be returned to the school. If you returned it, even in an indirect way, you would be acquitted from sin.
Allaah Knows best.
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