Q: My husband works in a business. The well known customers normally give tips. Is it permissible to use this money or is it seen as sadaqah? The second part to this is the owner of the business does not want this to take place and has put a sign up in the business advising clients not to tip the workers. However, because of the relationship built-up, clients still gives tips to a maximum amount of R20. Are we allowed to use this money for our personal use? Please note the reason the owner took these measures was due to the fact that some of the other employees were taking huge amounts as well as forcing customers to give them tips.
A: If your husband does not ask for tips, nor is there any form of coercion in acquiring these tips; instead customers do so out of their own volition and purely as an act of kindness, then it will be permissible to accept and utilize the money. This is not sadaqah, rather a gift from the clients.
Another reason why accepting such tips will be permissible is that the client does not pay your husband for any work or service rendered. Instead he pays the owner of the shop. Hence it will be said that such tips are not over and above any price charged.
In short it will be lawful to utilize such money, based on the conditions mentioned above.
