What is the ruling on taxes? And is it permissible to get rid of them in a way that does not result in harm?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : One last question.
The Shaykh: Go ahead.
The questioner : A merchant brought goods from abroad. It is known that the head of the assessment department is a certain person. He told him, "I need goods worth ten thousand dinars to come in." He brought him a gift, and if he had not been in that position at work, he would not have given him this gift. He gave him... what he gives in cash, perhaps he brought him a refrigerator worth five hundred dinars, or a bedroom set, or a roll of carpet. Since this country does not rule by Islam, is that permissible?
The Shaykh : We are back to the topic of bribery, meaning we have not strayed from the subject of bribery.
The questioner : It is the same meaning, but it is permissible by another method.
The Shaykh : Actions are by intentions, ...
Another questioner : ... a carpet or its price, it is the same meaning.
The Shaykh : All roads lead to the mill; it is not permissible, O Abu 'Asim, for us to accustom ourselves and our people to bribery in violation of the rulings. And although the issue differs, we said regarding buildings and the building system, that is for the benefit of the people. But imposing taxes and levies, meaning there is a very big difference. These laws we spoke about some of, like the building laws, do not contradict the Shari'ah, but rather support it. And the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) seems to have originally established such a system when he said:Sunan Ibn Majah 2339Sahih (Darussalam) This is a type of organization. The Messenger said it in his time. Yes, indeed.
The questioner : Meaning a car passes by.
The Shaykh : Yes, the point is that imposing taxes and levies that are not imposed except on disbelievers is a non-Islamic system without a doubt. So we say if a Muslim can get rid of a type of injustice like this in a way that does not result in harm in other aspects, then there is no obstacle at that time, and the issue differs completely in this case from those cases. Meaning: let us say frankly, a certain person wants to bribe without any roundabout way, he wants to bribe the customs officer to pass goods that are permissible to sell, buy, transport, import, and export according to the Shari'ah, but the tax law stands between him and that. So I say if this importation in this way cannot touch the religion of this person, for example, if he represents the people of knowledge, the people of righteousness, the people of piety, then if his matter is exposed, what will be installed? The abuse will not be on the briber, but on the people of religion: "You are like this, you are like this, etc..." So in this case, it is not permissible.
The questioner : It is not permissible?
The Shaykh : It is not permissible, of course. But as for a person who is a dervish among people, and they say about us in the Syrian expression, "no one is exposed to him," meaning no one asks about him.
The questioner : He has no beard.
The Shaykh : ... Knowledge has precision, you must pay attention to it. The issue is not that I see and I think...
The questioner : Once a person askedThe Shaykh : And I told him, "By Allah, I exerted myself in this issue such and such." He said to him,The Shaykh : "And are you from the people of ijtihad (independent legal reasoning) to exert yourself?" He said, "By Allah, I do not know." He said, "How did you exert yourself when you do not know how to exert yourself?"
The Shaykh: Go ahead.
The questioner : A merchant brought goods from abroad. It is known that the head of the assessment department is a certain person. He told him, "I need goods worth ten thousand dinars to come in." He brought him a gift, and if he had not been in that position at work, he would not have given him this gift. He gave him... what he gives in cash, perhaps he brought him a refrigerator worth five hundred dinars, or a bedroom set, or a roll of carpet. Since this country does not rule by Islam, is that permissible?
The Shaykh : We are back to the topic of bribery, meaning we have not strayed from the subject of bribery.
The questioner : It is the same meaning, but it is permissible by another method.
The Shaykh : Actions are by intentions, ...
Another questioner : ... a carpet or its price, it is the same meaning.
The Shaykh : All roads lead to the mill; it is not permissible, O Abu 'Asim, for us to accustom ourselves and our people to bribery in violation of the rulings. And although the issue differs, we said regarding buildings and the building system, that is for the benefit of the people. But imposing taxes and levies, meaning there is a very big difference. These laws we spoke about some of, like the building laws, do not contradict the Shari'ah, but rather support it. And the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) seems to have originally established such a system when he said:
When you dispute concerning a path, make it seven forearms length wide.
إذا اختلفتم في الطريق فاجعلوه سبعة أذرعThe questioner : Meaning a car passes by.
The Shaykh : Yes, the point is that imposing taxes and levies that are not imposed except on disbelievers is a non-Islamic system without a doubt. So we say if a Muslim can get rid of a type of injustice like this in a way that does not result in harm in other aspects, then there is no obstacle at that time, and the issue differs completely in this case from those cases. Meaning: let us say frankly, a certain person wants to bribe without any roundabout way, he wants to bribe the customs officer to pass goods that are permissible to sell, buy, transport, import, and export according to the Shari'ah, but the tax law stands between him and that. So I say if this importation in this way cannot touch the religion of this person, for example, if he represents the people of knowledge, the people of righteousness, the people of piety, then if his matter is exposed, what will be installed? The abuse will not be on the briber, but on the people of religion: "You are like this, you are like this, etc..." So in this case, it is not permissible.
The questioner : It is not permissible?
The Shaykh : It is not permissible, of course. But as for a person who is a dervish among people, and they say about us in the Syrian expression, "no one is exposed to him," meaning no one asks about him.
The questioner : He has no beard.
The Shaykh : ... Knowledge has precision, you must pay attention to it. The issue is not that I see and I think...
The questioner : Once a person askedThe Shaykh : And I told him, "By Allah, I exerted myself in this issue such and such." He said to him,The Shaykh : "And are you from the people of ijtihad (independent legal reasoning) to exert yourself?" He said, "By Allah, I do not know." He said, "How did you exert yourself when you do not know how to exert yourself?"
Source
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