Is the pay for overtime hours, granted as temporary compensation for a deserved salary increase, considered lawful (halal) or unlawful (haram), especially since the employee does not originally work overtime and the direct manager is responsible for the decision regarding the increase and the overtime hours? What is the correct action if this pay is unlawful (haram) and has been disbursed for seven months?

Both the employee and the manager must fulfill their trusts and embody justice. The direct manager is entrusted with the company's funds and must not pay employees for fictitious or unperformed overtime, as this constitutes deception and a betrayal of trust. Similarly, the employee must not accept these illicit wages. Whoever has obtained unlawful money must repent and return it to the company. If unable to do so, they should spend it for the benefit of the work or give it as charity to the poor and needy.