What is the ruling on a gift to employees that is in the nature of encouragement from clients?
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The questioner : Shaykh, may Allah reward you: A person works in one of the institutions and performs work...
The Shaykh : What kind of work?
The questioner : Work that involves facing the public. So, one of the clients or those dealing with him gave him a gift, a gift as a result of this work. Should he accept this gift as a form of encouragement for him, or should he return it?
The Shaykh : If the man who gave the gift is someone he deals with, he should not accept the gift, because he fears it may be a bribe. It is well known that a gift brings affection and love, and that it can cause a person to deviate from the straight path. He fears that if a transaction comes from the one who gave him the gift, he might give it preference over others, even in the distant future. We see that a person who handles public affairs should not accept a gift from someone he deals with, because he will show him favoritism, even over a long period of time.
The Shaykh : What kind of work?
The questioner : Work that involves facing the public. So, one of the clients or those dealing with him gave him a gift, a gift as a result of this work. Should he accept this gift as a form of encouragement for him, or should he return it?
The Shaykh : If the man who gave the gift is someone he deals with, he should not accept the gift, because he fears it may be a bribe. It is well known that a gift brings affection and love, and that it can cause a person to deviate from the straight path. He fears that if a transaction comes from the one who gave him the gift, he might give it preference over others, even in the distant future. We see that a person who handles public affairs should not accept a gift from someone he deals with, because he will show him favoritism, even over a long period of time.