Am I entitled to a return of a payment for an unavailable service?
The question, as received
Aslaamu alaykum,
I am a member of a gym. I pay monthly to use the gym. In May, I paid in the beginning of the month. However, the gym suddenly closed for 2 weeks for refurbishing. Do I legitimately have a claim to get two weeks payment back?
The answer
The agreement between yourself and the gym is that of an Ijārah (lease agreement). Your payment entitles you to use the facilities of the gym every month according to the terms and conditions agreed upon.
Explanation
In an Ijārah, one of the conditions to make the payment binding is that the leaser must make the leased asset/service available for usage throughout the period of lease.1 If the leased asset/service was available but the lessee did not avail or use the leased asset, he will still be liable to pay the rental.2
If anytime during the lease period the leased asset or service becomes unavailable, then the rental/fee will be subtracted in proportion to the period of the asset/service being unavailable.
Therefore, you are entitled to the amount equivalent for the days the gym was closed suddenly.
And Allah knows best.
Darul Fiqh Team
Reviewed and approved by Mufti Faraz Adam
References
1(الْمَادَّةُ 478) لَوْ فَاتَ الِانْتِفَاعُ بِالْمَأْجُورِ بِالْكُلِّيَّةِ سَقَطَتْ الْأُجْرَةُ مَثَلًا لَوْ احْتَاجَ الْحَمَّامُ إلَى التَّعْمِيرِ وَتَعَطَّلَ فِي أَثْنَاءِ تَعْمِيرِهِ تَسْقُطُ حِصَّةُ تِلْكَ الْمُدَّةِ مِنْ الْأُجْرَةِ وَكَذَلِكَ لَوْ انْقَطَعَ مَاءُ الرَّحَى وَتَعَطَّلَتْ تَسْقُطُ الْأُجْرَةُ اعْتِبَارًا مِنْ وَقْتِ انْقِطَاعِ الْمَاءِ وَلَكِنْ لَوْ انْتَفَعَ الْمُسْتَأْجِرُ بِغَيْرِ صُورَةِ الطَّحْنِ مِنْ بَيْتِ الرَّحَى يَلْزَمُهُ إعْطَاءُ مَا أَصَابَ حِصَّةَ ذَلِكَ الِانْتِفَاعِ (درر الحكام شرح مجلة الأحكام ج 1 ص 506 دار الجيل)
2. وَكَمَا يَجِبُ الْأَجْرُ بِاسْتِيفَاءِ الْمَنَافِعِ يَجِبُ بِالتَّمَكُّنِ مِنْ اسْتِيفَاءِ الْمَنَافِعِ إذَا كَانَتْ الْإِجَارَةُ صَحِيحَةً حَتَّى إنَّ الْمُسْتَأْجِرَ دَارًا أَوْ حَانُوتًا مُدَّةً مَعْلُومَةً وَلَمْ يَسْكُنْ فِيهَا فِي تِلْكَ الْمُدَّةِ مَعَ تَمَكُّنِهِ مِنْ ذَلِكَ تَجِبُ الْأُجْرَةُ، كَذَا فِي الْمُحِيطِ. (الفتاوى الهندية ج 4 ص 413 رشيدية)
Based on the Hanafi school and on the question as it was asked. Another mufti may reach a different conclusion. Read the disclaimer.