Fatwa #4637623 October 2020Pakistan
Paying a bribe to receive due payment - Is this permissible?
Question
Respected Mufti saheb
A company completed a tender for a certain municipality.
Payment for work done was due after 7 days.
But they kept on delaying payment.
A few months passed like this.
Unfortunately people in the finance insisted on a bribe, calling it a donation.
Since it seemed that there was no other alternative to receive payment, in desperation these monies were paid.
Will the proceeds from this be permissible or not?
Jazakallahu khairan
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
In principle, an employee (the company) hired to complete a project (the tender) will be deserving of payment once the work is completed.[1]
Accordingly, the payment is binding upon the municipality as the company had completed the tender.
The issue remains of issuing a bribe in the name of a donation to receive due payment.
As a matter of principle, it is not permissible to give bribes except in certain cases, such as prevention from oppression, obtaining one’s lawful right, etc.[2]
In the scenario in reference, if the payment cannot be received except by offering a bribe, then one will be excused for offering a bribe and the payment received will be lawful.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Bilal Yusuf Pandor
Student Darul Iftaa
Lusaka, Zambia
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
الهداية في شرح بداية المبتدي (3/ 231) [1]
قال: "الأجرة لا تجب بالعقد وتستحق بأحد معان ثلاثة: إما بشرط التعجيل، أو بالتعجيل من غير شرط، أو باستيفاء المعقود عليه "
الجوهرة النيرة على مختصر القدوري (1/ 267)
وقوله: أو باستيفاء المعقود عليه؛ لأنه إذا استوفى المعقود عليه فقد ملك المنفعة فاستحق ملك العوض في مقابلته
فتاوى قاضيخان (2/ 200) [2]
ومنها اذا دفع الرشوة لخوف على نفسه أو ماله وهذه الرشوة حرام على الآخذ غير حرام على الدافع * وكذا اذا طمع في ماله فرشاه بعض المال * ومنها اذا دفع الرشوة ليستوي أمره عند السلطان حل له الدفع ولا يحل للآخذ أن يأخذ