The Ruling on Bribery and the Harms Resulting from It

Question:
This questioner, Abdullah, says: Tell us about bribery, its harm to the individual and society, and the ruling of the Shari'ah on this matter?

Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and all his Companions. As for what follows, Allah has criticized the Jews, and among their faults is the consumption of bribes. Allah the Exalted said: And the illicit gain is the bribe. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) warned against bribery and cursed the one who gives it, the one who takes it, and the one who acts as an intermediary in it?
He said (peace and blessings be upon him): who acts as an intermediary between them with a bribe. The curse implies that it is a major sin, one of the major sins, and I seek refuge in Allah. It is a defect in society and corruption in society, and it leads to harms such as supporting the wrongdoers, abandoning the people of truth, promoting those who do not deserve promotion, delaying those who deserve delay, and oppressing people in their rights and transactions. It is a great social crime. It is necessary to take strict action against those who commit it with a deterrent punishment. Whenever bribery spreads in a society, destruction and ruin befall it; rights are lost, the people of falsehood prevail, and the people of truth are humiliated. It is a social crime, a malignant germ in society. What is bribery? Bribery is what is paid to an official for him to perform the work entrusted to him toward the people: the employee, the manager, the judge. This is the most severe form because it changes the legal rulings. So bribery is what is paid to an official, whether his position is high or low. It is a malignant crime that must be treated by deterring its perpetrators and those involved in it, so that the society is purified, so that rights reach their rightful owners, so that the petitioners are at ease and confident in obtaining their rights, and so that the criminals and wrongdoers are deterred. This is necessary; otherwise, it will corrupt the state of society, ruin professional work, and cause great disorder in society. Yes.