The extraction by the one in authority of what his employees have appropriated, and the ruling on assisting him

The questioner : As for the case where the one in authority extracts from the employees what he wants to appropriate for himself and his relatives, it is not permissible to assist either of them, for each of them is a wrongdoer. It is like a thief stealing from a thief, or like the two warring factions fighting over tribalism and leadership. It is not permissible for a man to be an aid in wrongdoing. Cooperation is of two types: the first is cooperation in righteousness and piety, such as jihad

The Shaykh : How? The first.

The questioner : Cooperation in righteousness and piety, such as jihad, establishing the hudud (fixed Qur'anic punishments), collecting rights, and giving to those who are entitled to them. This is what Allah has commanded

The Shaykh : As for the case where the one in authority extracts from the employees what he wants to appropriate for himself and his relatives, it is not permissible to assist either of them. Whom? The employees and the one in authority. Why? Because each one is a wrongdoer. The one in authority tyrannizes over the employees, and the employees tyrannize over the people, taking bribes from them and giving them to whom? To the one in authority who is above them. It is like a thief stealing from a thief, the thief stealing from the thief. Yes, and the sin of the one who steals is not dropped, neither from this one nor from that one. Even if the common people say a false phrase, "the thief stealing from the thief," like the heir from his father, and this is not the case. Yes, the thief stealing from the thief, if he intends to return the stolen goods to their owner, then he is to be thanked for that. That is, if he knew that this man had stolen so-and-so's money, he knew him specifically and knew whose it was, and then he went to the thief's place, entered the house, and stole it back to return it to its owner, then that is good. And the second one does not sin, he does not sin, because he intends to return the money to its rightful owner. And Allah knows best. And may Allah send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions.