Fatwa #2757127 November 2013United Kingdom
Can I give a percentage of money to officers in the name of commission?
Question
I want to ask about my brother's business. He does construction work for the govenment departments in pakistan. He has to give some percentage of the money to officers which is given name of commission. different grade officers have certain percentage set in the whole amount. this is happening everywhere in this government department. will his whole income become invalid if he is involved in the same?
he has told me that he has no way out. can he use the money earned from there to some other business?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
It is important to understand that it is the duty of every Muslim to earn a halal earning and refrain from involving themselves in any acts contrary to Shari'ah. All forms of bribery are condemned by Shari'ah regardless of what name the bribery is given. Whether it is called a "fee" or a "commission", the reality still remains the same. It is narrated by 'Anbdullah bin 'Amr (may Allah be pleased with him):
لَعَنَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الرَّاشِي وَالْمُرْتَشِي
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) cursed the one who bribes and the one who takes a bribe. [Sunan Abi Dawud, 3580, Chapter regarding bribery being disliked]
It is also important to note that Shari'ah has given room for one who is oppressed to resort to bribery in order to make a rightful claim and earn his due right[1]. As such, your brother should try his best to avoid giving in to bribery and pursue a job that does not involve such dealings. If he is unable to do so and he truly has no other avenue to earn his income, then we can hope that Allah Ta'ālā will excuse him for involving himself in such dealings.[2] If he has not exhausted all other options and continues to pay bribes, then continuing this business will not be permissible and he will be committing a great sin for involving himself in haram.[3] Nevertheless, his income will be halal as long as he is not the one receiving the money gained through bribery.[4]
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Bilal Mohammad
Student Darul Iftaa
New Jersey, USA
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
[1] Fatawa Mahmudiyyah, vol. 18, pg. 455, Darul Iftaa Jami'ah Faruqiyyah;
Ahsanul Fatawa, vol. 8, pg. 97, HM Saeed Company;
ثُمَّ الرِّشْوَةُ أَرْبَعَةُ أَقْسَامٍ: مِنْهَا مَا هُوَ حَرَامٌ عَلَى الْآخِذِ وَالْمُعْطِي وَهُوَ الرِّشْوَةُ عَلَى تَقْلِيدِ الْقَضَاءِ وَالْإِمَارَةِ.
الثَّانِي: ارْتِشَاءُ الْقَاضِي لِيَحْكُمَ وَهُوَ كَذَلِكَ وَلَوْ الْقَضَاءُ بِحَقٍّ؛ لِأَنَّهُ وَاجِبٌ عَلَيْهِ.
الثَّالِثُ: أَخْذُ الْمَالِ لِيُسَوِّيَ أَمْرَهُ عِنْدَ السُّلْطَانِ دَفْعًا لِلضَّرَرِ أَوْ جَلْبًا لِلنَّفْعِ وَهُوَ حَرَامٌ عَلَى الْآخِذِ فَقَطْ وَحِيلَةُ حِلُّهَا أَنْ يَسْتَأْجِرَهُ يَوْمًا إلَى اللَّيْلِ أَوْ يَوْمَيْنِ فَتَصِيرَ مَنَافِعُهُ مَمْلُوكَةً ثُمَّ يَسْتَعْمِلَهُ فِي الذَّهَابِ إلَى السُّلْطَانِ لِلْأَمْرِ الْفُلَانِيِّ، وَفِي الْأَقْضِيَةِ قَسَّمَ الْهَدِيَّةَ وَجَعَلَ هَذَا مِنْ أَقْسَامِهَا فَقَالَ: حَلَالٌ مِنْ الْجَانِبَيْنِ كَالْإِهْدَاءِ لِلتَّوَدُّدِ وَحَرَامٌ مِنْهُمَا كَالْإِهْدَاءِ لِيُعِينَهُ عَلَى الظُّلْمِ وَحَرَامٌ عَلَى الْآخِذِ فَقَطْ، وَهُوَ أَنْ يُهْدَى لِيَكُفَّ عَنْهُ الظُّلْمَ وَالْحِيلَةُ أَنْ يَسْتَأْجِرَهُ إلَخْ قَالَ: أَيْ فِي الْأَقْضِيَةِ هَذَا إذَا كَانَ فِيهِ شَرْطٌ أَمَّا إذَا كَانَ بِلَا شَرْطٍ لَكِنْ يَعْلَمُ يَقِينًا أَنَّهُ إنَّمَا يُهْدِي لِيُعِينَهُ عِنْدَ السُّلْطَانِ فَمَشَايِخُنَا عَلَى أَنَّهُ لَا بَأْسَ بِهِ، وَلَوْ قَضَى حَاجَتَهُ بِلَا شَرْطٍ وَلَا طَمَعٍ فَأَهْدَى إلَيْهِ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَهُوَ حَلَالٌ لَا بَأْسَ بِهِ وَمَا نُقِلَ عَنْ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ مِنْ كَرَاهَتِهِ فَوَرَعٌ
الرَّابِعُ: مَا يَدْفَعُ لِدَفْعِ الْخَوْفِ مِنْ الْمَدْفُوعِ إلَيْهِ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ أَوْ مَالِهِ حَلَالٌ لِلدَّافِعِ حَرَامٌ عَلَى الْآخِذِ؛ لِأَنَّ دَفْعَ الضَّرَرِ عَنْ الْمُسْلِمِ وَاجِبٌ وَلَا يَجُوزُ أَخْذُ الْمَالِ لِيَفْعَلَ الْوَاجِبَ، اهـ مَا فِي الْفَتْحِ مُلَخَّصًا.
(رد المحتار علي الدر المختار، ج ٥، ص ٣٦٢، ايج ايم سعيد كمبني)
[2] Fatawa Mahmudiyyah, vol. 18, pg. 456, Darul Iftaa Jami'ah Faruqiyyah;
[3] Ahsanul Fatawa, vol. 7, pg. 311, HM Saeed Company
[4] Ibid.
References
- Fatawa Mahmudiyyah, vol. 18, pg. 456, Darul Iftaa Jami'ah Faruqiyyah;
- Ahsanul Fatawa, vol. 7, pg. 311, HM Saeed Company
- Ibid.