Is it permissible to pay money to transfer one's place of work from one location to another out of necessity?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
I am a military officer working in the city of Riyadh, and I wish to be transferred to Makkah al-Mukarramah. I inform you that I found a person who says he can transfer me to Makkah, but he wants me to pay three thousand riyals to do so. Please note that he has no official status in my work, but he is able to intercede for me. My question is: if I pay him the amount he requested, would it be lawful, or is it a bribe? Please note that I am in dire need of this transfer due to difficult family circumstances. Please advise us; may Allah reward you.
Answer:
That is not permissible for two reasons. The first is that the common practice of these people is dealing in bribery, and they give some employees money so that they lie and resort to tricks to transfer him. The second is that if his intention is intercession, no fee is taken for intercession. Intercession for one's brother is not done for a reward. His intercession earns him reward, but without a fee. The believer should stay away from this. The hadith is:Bulugh al-Maram 7:77.
The point is that taking money in these matters is not permissible, because it is mostly bribery for them, and they lie and do whatever tricks they can to obtain these requests and these evil gains.
As for pure intercession for the sake of Allah, which is rare among people, no fee is taken for intercession for the sake of Allah. Yes.
I am a military officer working in the city of Riyadh, and I wish to be transferred to Makkah al-Mukarramah. I inform you that I found a person who says he can transfer me to Makkah, but he wants me to pay three thousand riyals to do so. Please note that he has no official status in my work, but he is able to intercede for me. My question is: if I pay him the amount he requested, would it be lawful, or is it a bribe? Please note that I am in dire need of this transfer due to difficult family circumstances. Please advise us; may Allah reward you.
Answer:
That is not permissible for two reasons. The first is that the common practice of these people is dealing in bribery, and they give some employees money so that they lie and resort to tricks to transfer him. The second is that if his intention is intercession, no fee is taken for intercession. Intercession for one's brother is not done for a reward. His intercession earns him reward, but without a fee. The believer should stay away from this. The hadith is:
Whoever intercedes for his brother and that one gives him a gift for that (intercession) which he accepts, he has engaged in one of the most terrible types of Riba (undeserving increase in something).
من شفع لأخيه شفاعة فأهدى له هدية فقد أتى بابا عظيم من أبواب الرباThe point is that taking money in these matters is not permissible, because it is mostly bribery for them, and they lie and do whatever tricks they can to obtain these requests and these evil gains.
As for pure intercession for the sake of Allah, which is rare among people, no fee is taken for intercession for the sake of Allah. Yes.
Source
قناة «فضيلة الشيخ ابن باز Alsheikh Binbaz»، 278 هل يجوز دفع المال لنقل مكان العمل من مكان لآخر لضرورة؟ للإمام ابن باز — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.