A government employee whose bad companions encouraged him to take bribes, so he took them
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Fatwa number ( 7630 )
Q: Ia friend who is a government employee, and his bad companions made bribery attractive to him, so he took bribesover a few years, and he stopped, praise be to Allah, and repented a long time ago. Now he fasts, prays, gives a lot of charity, and strives in good deeds. He performed the lesser pilgrimage once, and he performed the lesser pilgrimage and the major pilgrimage to the Sacred House again. He has accumulated wealth from this bribery during the years that passed. Of course, since he is still an employee to this day, from a social standpoint he cannot go to the people from whom he took bribes in the past and return the value of the bribes to them, because that would expose him and harm his reputation, and it might subject him to criminal prosecution. Also, it is not possible to track down the people from whom he previously received this bribery in the present, and some of them have died. So what is the solution, and what should be done? Is it permissible for him to estimate the amounts he received as bribes, even approximately, and then build a mosque with them?
for example, or contribute them to any charitable project, such as Qur'an memorization associations, or an orphanage, or give them to the Zakat house that collects Zakat and distributes it to those who are entitled to it?
A: If the situation is as described, repentance from that is obligatory by abandoning this crime, feeling remorse for what he committed in the past, and resolving not to return to it. He must return the unjustly taken bribes to their owners as much as possible. If he cannot, he must spend that money on acts of righteousness with the intention that it is on behalf of the oppressed. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q: Ia friend who is a government employee, and his bad companions made bribery attractive to him, so he took bribesover a few years, and he stopped, praise be to Allah, and repented a long time ago. Now he fasts, prays, gives a lot of charity, and strives in good deeds. He performed the lesser pilgrimage once, and he performed the lesser pilgrimage and the major pilgrimage to the Sacred House again. He has accumulated wealth from this bribery during the years that passed. Of course, since he is still an employee to this day, from a social standpoint he cannot go to the people from whom he took bribes in the past and return the value of the bribes to them, because that would expose him and harm his reputation, and it might subject him to criminal prosecution. Also, it is not possible to track down the people from whom he previously received this bribery in the present, and some of them have died. So what is the solution, and what should be done? Is it permissible for him to estimate the amounts he received as bribes, even approximately, and then build a mosque with them?
for example, or contribute them to any charitable project, such as Qur'an memorization associations, or an orphanage, or give them to the Zakat house that collects Zakat and distributes it to those who are entitled to it?
A: If the situation is as described, repentance from that is obligatory by abandoning this crime, feeling remorse for what he committed in the past, and resolving not to return to it. He must return the unjustly taken bribes to their owners as much as possible. If he cannot, he must spend that money on acts of righteousness with the intention that it is on behalf of the oppressed. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.