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My brother owns a takeaway and my other brother works there sometimes. Sometimes I have to do deliveries and I get tips but my brother doesn't pay me nor do I get a salary. The only money I earn is tips from this. I do not ask for tips or anything, the customers just give me it . Is this money halal? Also I am not an employee. This is a family business so I help out but I don't want money as I just want to help but sometimes customers just give tips and I insist not to but they gave it out of kindness as some houses are tricky to find. Not taking the money would be rude if I did that.

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  • Simply speaking, tips are allowed, but in the end as everything else it depends on your or the tippers intention.
    – Kilise
    Jan 21, 2017 at 18:48
  • @Kilise I think his question is: Is this type of contract between him and his employer correct? Because he has a contract and is doing something yet not getting guaranteed paid. He may get $1000 or $0. I don't know of his case, but there are cases which contracts are haram because one said isn't really gaining anything while the other is.
    – Thaqalain
    Jan 22, 2017 at 3:56
  • @Honey Yeah that is why I said simple speaking. The details you describe are missing in the question so it's hard to give an detailed answer.
    – Kilise
    Jan 22, 2017 at 9:52
  • @Kilise you said it depends on the tippers intentions. I am NOT speaking about them. I am only speaking about him and his employee.
    – Thaqalain
    Jan 22, 2017 at 12:10
  • @Honey I understand, but it's not clear in the question if he even is employed or has a contract and such therefore my simplistic "answer". I guess the question should be described in more details before we can get into the unknown details ourselves.
    – Kilise
    Jan 22, 2017 at 12:15

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Some scholars consider tips as haram, saying:

The difference between a haraam gift and a permissible gift is that if it is given because of a person’s work, then it is haraam. The guideline concerning this is to look at the person’s situation: if he was not in this job, would he have been given this gift? This is what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) meant when he said: “Why doesn’t he sit in the house of his father and mother and see if he will be given anything or not?”

So if these tips somehow reach the level of a bribe then they are haram.

Also, tips have negative effects which should be taken into account (for details read islamqa #82497).

Now on the other hand receiving tips is allowed if your employer is aware of it and accepts it. In your case your brother doesn't even pay you as he seems to be aware that his customers would give you tips here I'd say would apply the statement of this hadith compiled in sunan abi Dawod, sunanan-Nasa'i and al-adab al-mufrad of al-Bukhari:

...and requite him who does a favour to you, but if you are unable to requite him ...

(For details for the exception of tips if the employer is aware of read islamqa #143737)

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