Book 37: Hiring
Overview
Sahih al-Bukhari Book 37 (Hiring) functions primarily as a manual for Islamic employment ethics and economic jurisprudence, but it is deeply interwoven with profound theological claims. On a practical level, the text establishes strict mandates for fair labor practices: employers must pay full wages, workers must be honest, and certain professions (prostitution, soothsaying, selling dogs, charging stud fees) are strictly forbidden. It also establishes the permissibility of hiring non-Muslims, as demonstrated by Muhammad and Abu Bakr hiring a pagan guide during the Hijrah. However, the text transcends mere economic law by including three major theological narratives. First, it adapts Jesus' Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20) to assert Islamic superiority, claiming Muslims work less but receive double the reward of Jews and Christians. Second, it recounts the story of three men trapped in a cave who are delivered solely by invoking their own perfectly pure, righteous deeds—a stark endorsement of works-based salvation and self-mediation. Third, it validates the practice of charging material wages (a flock of sheep) for spiritual healing (Ruqya), with the Prophet himself requesting a share of the payment. For the evangelical analyst, this text provides a vivid contrast between Islamic works-righteousness and biblical grace, while also highlighting shared ethical values regarding labor justice.
Key Figures
- Muhammad (The Prophet): The central authority figure who establishes law, approves of charging for spiritual healing, and narrates parables of Islamic superiority.
- Allah: The divine employer in the parables who bestows double wages upon Muslims and opposes those who defraud laborers.
- Abu Bakr: Companion of Muhammad who co-hired the pagan guide and judged the legal case of the bitten finger.
- Moses and Al-Khadir: Mentioned in a brief narrative regarding the repair of a wall and the concept of taking wages for labor.
- The Three Men in the Cave: Anonymous figures in a parable who demonstrate the Islamic theological concept of Tawassul (intercession) through one's own righteous deeds.
- Khabbab and Al-As bin Wail: A Muslim blacksmith and a pagan debtor whose interaction prompts the revelation of Quran 19:77 regarding the resurrection.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Tawassul bil-A'mal al-Saliha (Intercession by Righteous Deeds)
Assertion
Believers can and must invoke their own perfectly sincere righteous deeds to persuade Allah to deliver them from physical or spiritual peril.
Evidence from Text
Nothing could save you from this rock but to invoke Allah by giving reference to the righteous deed which you have done (for Allah's sake only).
Evangelical Comparison
In Hadith 037:2187, three men are trapped in a cave and conclude that their only hope for salvation is to present their best, most sincere works to Allah as a basis for deliverance. One cites his extreme filial piety, another his restraint from fornication despite having paid for it, and the third his extreme financial honesty. Because these deeds were done 'for Allah's sake only,' the rock moves. This is the antithesis of Evangelical soteriology. In biblical Christianity, human righteous deeds are 'like filthy rags' (Isaiah 64:6) and cannot be used to leverage God's favor or secure deliverance. Salvation and answered prayer are based entirely on the finished work of Christ and praying 'in His name' (John 14:13-14), not in the name of our own moral achievements. This doctrine places a massive burden on the Muslim to perform deeds with absolute, flawless purity of motive to keep in reserve for times of crisis.
Islamic Supersessionism and Merit
Assertion
Muslims are the final and superior religious community, receiving double the spiritual reward of Jews and Christians despite doing less work.
Evidence from Text
The Jews carried out the work for one Qirat each; and then the Christians carried out the work up to the `Asr prayer for one Qirat each; and now you Muslims are working from the `Asr prayer up to sunset for two Qirats each... He said, 'That is My Blessing, I bestow upon whomever I wish.'
Evangelical Comparison
Hadiths 2183, 2184, and 2186 present a direct Islamic polemic against Judaism and Christianity using a modified version of Jesus' Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16). In Jesus' parable, the latecomers receive the *same* wage as the early workers, illustrating that salvation is entirely by God's grace, not human merit or duration of labor. In the Islamic version, the latecomers (Muslims) receive *double* the wage of the earlier workers (Jews and Christians). When the earlier workers complain, Allah declares it is His blessing. While this echoes the sovereignty of God found in Matthew 20:15, it fundamentally alters the gospel message. Instead of leveling all humanity at the foot of the cross in need of equal grace, the Hadith elevates Muslims to a status of superior reward, reinforcing a works-and-reward paradigm where the final revelation yields a higher payout.
Divine Justice in Labor
Assertion
Allah actively opposes and will judge those who defraud laborers of their rightful wages.
Evidence from Text
Allah said, 'I will be an opponent to three types of people on the Day of Resurrection: ... One who employs a laborer and takes full work from him but does not pay him for his labour.'
Evangelical Comparison
The Hadith strongly condemns the exploitation of workers, stating that Allah Himself will be the opponent of the wage-thief on the Day of Resurrection. This demonstrates a high view of economic justice and human dignity in labor. This doctrine is entirely compatible with Evangelical Christianity. The Bible frequently condemns those who withhold wages from laborers. James 5:4 states, 'Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.' Similarly, Deuteronomy 24:15 commands paying a worker their wages daily. This represents a strong shared moral value between the two faiths.
Monetization of Spiritual Power (Ruqya)
Assertion
It is permissible and righteous to charge material wealth (such as livestock) in exchange for reciting scripture to perform physical healing.
Evidence from Text
I will not recite the Ruqya for you unless you fix for us some wages for it... Allah's Messenger asked, 'How did you come to know that Suratul-Fatiha was recited as Ruqya?' Then he added, 'You have done the right thing. Divide (what you have earned) and assign a share for me as well.'
Evangelical Comparison
In Hadith 2191, companions of the Prophet are refused hospitality by a tribe. When the tribe's chief is bitten by a snake, a companion agrees to heal him using Quranic recitation (Ruqya) only on the condition of being paid a flock of sheep. The Prophet Muhammad not only approves of this transaction but requests a cut of the profits. This sharply contrasts with biblical ethics regarding spiritual gifts and miracles. Jesus explicitly commanded His disciples in Matthew 10:8, 'Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.' Furthermore, in Acts 8:18-20, Simon the Sorcerer is severely rebuked by Peter for attempting to buy (and by implication, monetize) the power of the Holy Spirit. The biblical model separates divine healing from financial transaction to ensure God receives the glory and the poor are not exploited.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
The text fundamentally diverges from Evangelicalism by promoting works-based salvation/deliverance (invoking one's own deeds) and by altering biblical parables to assert Islamic supersessionism.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The theological gap between this text and Evangelical Christianity is profound, centering primarily on Soteriology and Christology. Hadith 2187 (the men in the cave) explicitly teaches Tawassul (intercession) through one's own righteous deeds. The men are delivered from death solely because they can present moral achievements performed with flawless motives ('for Your Sake only'). This directly violates the Evangelical pillars of Sola Fide (faith alone) and Solus Christus (Christ alone). Biblically, human works are tainted by sin (Romans 3:23) and cannot serve as the basis for divine deliverance or justification (Titus 3:5). The believer's only plea before God is the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, the text exhibits aggressive supersessionism by co-opting and altering biblical revelation. In Hadiths 2183-2186, Jesus' Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20) is rewritten. In the biblical text, the parable illustrates Sola Gratia—God's sovereign grace given equally to the first and the last, destroying human merit. The Hadith reverses this meaning entirely, using the parable to establish a hierarchy of merit where Muslims work less but receive double the wages of Jews and Christians. This transforms a biblical narrative about unmerited grace into an Islamic narrative about superior religious status and works-based reward.
For All Ages
Imagine you are trapped in a deep hole. In this Islamic story, the only way out is to yell up to God, 'Look at all the perfect, good things I did! Because I was so good, please pull me out!' If your good deeds weren't perfect, you stay trapped. But the Bible teaches something completely different. The Bible says we are all trapped in a hole of sin, and none of our good deeds are perfect enough to get us out. Instead, Jesus climbed down into the hole to rescue us. We don't yell about how good we are; we just trust in how good Jesus is. Also, this text changes a story Jesus told. Jesus told a story about workers to show that God gives His love (grace) equally to everyone, no matter when they come to Him. This text changes the story to say that Muslims get paid double because they are better, which changes God's free gift into a contest.
Friction Points
Sola Fide (Faith Alone)
The text teaches that deliverance from peril is achieved by invoking the merit of one's own righteous deeds.
Solus Christus (Christ Alone)
The text replaces the mediation and intercession of Christ with the self-mediation of the believer's own works.
Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone)
The text alters a canonical parable of Jesus (Matthew 20) to teach a contradictory theological message.
Nature of Grace / Ministry
The text endorses charging material wealth for spiritual healing and miracles, contradicting Christ's command to give freely.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"Blessing / Grace (Fadl)"
In This Text
In the parable of the laborers, Allah's 'blessing' is giving Muslims double the wages for doing a fraction of the work.
In Evangelicalism
Unmerited favor; God giving salvation to those who deserve wrath, completely apart from any works or labor (Ephesians 2:8-9).
"Intercession / Invocation"
In This Text
Pleading with God on the basis of one's own past righteous deeds.
In Evangelicalism
Christ pleading with the Father on behalf of the believer, based on Christ's own perfect sacrifice (Hebrews 7:25).
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: Deliverance from physical peril, divine wrath, and ultimately entering Paradise.
How Attained: Through obedience to Islamic law, fair dealings, and the accumulation of perfectly sincere righteous deeds that can be invoked before Allah.
Basis of Assurance: Assurance is highly unstable, as it depends entirely on whether one's deeds were performed 'for Allah's sake only' without any hidden hypocrisy or mixed motives.
Comparison to Sola Fide: This text stands in direct opposition to Sola Fide. The men in the cave do not appeal to God's mercy or a substitute's sacrifice; they appeal to their own moral track record. Romans 4:4-5 explicitly rejects this: 'Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.'
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- Pay laborers their full wages promptly.
- Do not appoint individuals to leadership/jobs who earnestly demand them.
- Do not sell a free person and consume the price.
- Do not break covenants made in Allah's name.
- Do not earn money from the price of a dog.
- Do not earn money from prostitution.
- Do not earn money from the charges of a soothsayer.
- Do not charge a fee for animal copulation (stud fees).
- Do not act as a broker for a bedouin in a way that exploits the market.
Implicit Obligations
- Perform righteous deeds with absolute purity of intention ('for Allah's sake only') so they can be used to invoke Allah in times of crisis.
- It is permissible to hire non-Muslims (pagans/Jews) if they are experts and trustworthy.
- It is permissible to engage in sharecropping (giving land for half its yield).
Ritual Requirements
- Reciting Surah Al-Fatiha as a Ruqya (incantation) for physical healing.
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- In the story of the three men in the cave, they were saved because their good deeds were done 'for Allah's sake only.' How can you be absolutely sure your motives are ever 100% pure?
- If you were trapped in that cave today, what specific deed would you invoke, and would you have peace that it was enough?
- I noticed the parable of the laborers is very similar to a story Jesus told in the Gospel of Matthew. Have you ever read Jesus' original version of that story? Would you like to look at it together?
- The Hadith says Allah opposes those who don't pay workers their wages. Since we have all failed to give God the perfect obedience we owe Him, how can we escape being opposed by God on Judgment Day?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
The Prophet as a Shepherd
Use this to bridge to Jesus as the 'Good Shepherd' who doesn't just guide the sheep, but lays down His life for them.
Trapped in the Cave
Agree that humanity is trapped by a heavy weight (sin and death) and cannot get out. But instead of trying to push the rock with our own flawed good deeds, the Gospel says Jesus came from the outside to roll the stone away for us.
The Honest Treasurer
We are all stewards of the life God gave us. Because we have squandered it, we need a perfect Treasurer (Christ) who paid our debt willingly.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
The story of the cave places a crushing psychological burden on the believer. To be saved in a crisis, one must have a reservoir of deeds performed with absolute, flawless sincerity ('for Your Sake only'). Because human hearts are prone to mixed motives (pride, fear of man, desire for reward), the believer can never be truly certain if their deeds are pure enough to 'move the rock.'
Because grace in this text is defined as a 'bonus wage' for labor rather than an unmerited gift, the believer is kept on a treadmill of religious performance, hoping their labor is sufficient to earn the 'blessing.'