What is the amount of a bribe in Saudi currency, and are the gifts given to certain people considered a bribe? We ask for a detailed answer. May Allah guide you.
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The questioner : What is the amount of a bribe in Saudi currency, and are the gifts given to certain people considered a bribe? We ask for a detailed answer. May Allah guide you?
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. A bribe is anything by which a person achieves his objective. It is derived from the word *rashaa*, which is the rope by which a bucket is lowered to draw water from a well. In reality, it is divided into two categories. The first is a bribe by which a person achieves a falsehood by paying a right that is obligatory upon him, or by obtaining what is not his right. This is forbidden for both the recipient and the giver.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : It was reported in a hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Cursing is expulsion and distance from the mercy of Allah. This indicates that it is among the major sins, as this great punishment was prescribed for it.
The second category is a bribe by which a person achieves his prescribed right or removes a falsehood from himself. This is forbidden for the recipient, but permissible for the one from whom it is taken, because he wants to escape injustice or achieve his right, and he is not to be blamed for this.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : However, if this occurs with officials of the state, it is obligatory for the citizens to help the state in eliminating this problem by informing the state about what this criminal has done against the state and the citizens, where he prevented them from their prescribed rights or tried to burden them with what is not required of them using the authority of the system for which he is responsible, or the authority of the job for which he is responsible. The state does not approve of this.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Especially here in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the state, as far as I have been informed, fights this with a severe and great struggle, and it has the right to do so because of the disruption of order, injustice, and the loss of rights involved in it.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So the state is to be thanked for this, but the shortcoming is from us, the citizens. Many people are overcome by emotion regarding this official; they do not like to subject him to the hand of justice, which will punish him and prevent this oppression and injustice from him.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Then, some people also say: "This will take a long time for me. If I raise the matter to the state, there will be questions and answers and delays, and I am not responsible for this." In reality, he is responsible for this, because if the state receives this news from this person and it is established with them, they will punish him, making him an example for those before him, those after him, and those behind him among the officials. By this, the great benefit is achieved for the state and for the officials themselves, as they will be deterred from this shameful, forbidden act.
In summary, a bribe is of two types: a bribe that is forbidden for both the recipient and the giver, which is that by which a falsehood is established or a right is paid.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And a bribe that is forbidden for the recipient but not for the giver, which is that by which the giver achieves his right or removes injustice from himself. However, even if this exists, it is obligatory that it be raised to the officials of the state so that this criminal receives his due punishment.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As for the questioner's question about gifts, we say to him: Gifts to officials in a case where you have a personal interest are, in reality, a form of bribery.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : It is established in the authentic collections that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent a man named Abdullah ibn al-Lutbiyah as a collector of alms. When he returned, he said: "This is for you, and this was given to me as a gift." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) became angry about this and said: Imam Ahmad and the people of the Sunan reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: Although there is a defect in its chain, it is supported by the hadith of Abdullah ibn al-Lutbiyah which we mentioned.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So, gifts to workers and employees in a case that concerns you, in order for them to facilitate it for you, are in reality a form of bribery. Therefore, it is not permissible for a person to use them, because he is bribing them, except in the manner we mentioned before: if he wants to achieve his right and cannot achieve it except by that, then it is permissible for him and forbidden for the recipient. However, we do not encourage this act; rather, we see that it is obligatory for him to raise this and similar matters to the officials.
The questioner : Yes, so it is not permissible for the giver and the recipient?
The Shaykh : If the giver is compelled to this and cannot reach his right except by that, then he is in a state of necessity where he cannot lose his right.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And the sin is upon the recipient. However, if it is possible to raise the matter to the authorities so that they punish this man and give the owner of the right his right, then that is what is obligatory upon him.
The questioner : But is it permissible for him to pay, for example, to take his right and then remain silent, not raising this official?
The Shaykh : He must raise it, as we said.
The questioner : Yes, he must raise it...
The Shaykh : He must raise it to the officials, yes.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So that they carry out the necessary punishment upon him.
The questioner : Yes, this message reached us from a listener. He says: Your brother Sa'id Abu Bakr from al-Madinah al-Munawwarah. He says in his message: What is the ruling on wedding feasts? In reality, we always present this question in the program *Nur 'ala al-Darb* (Light on the Path) due to the many reports we receive about it and the many questions and inquiries we also receive regarding it.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. A bribe is anything by which a person achieves his objective. It is derived from the word *rashaa*, which is the rope by which a bucket is lowered to draw water from a well. In reality, it is divided into two categories. The first is a bribe by which a person achieves a falsehood by paying a right that is obligatory upon him, or by obtaining what is not his right. This is forbidden for both the recipient and the giver.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : It was reported in a hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
That he cursed the briber and the one who accepts the bribe
أنه لعن الراشي والمرتشيThe second category is a bribe by which a person achieves his prescribed right or removes a falsehood from himself. This is forbidden for the recipient, but permissible for the one from whom it is taken, because he wants to escape injustice or achieve his right, and he is not to be blamed for this.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : However, if this occurs with officials of the state, it is obligatory for the citizens to help the state in eliminating this problem by informing the state about what this criminal has done against the state and the citizens, where he prevented them from their prescribed rights or tried to burden them with what is not required of them using the authority of the system for which he is responsible, or the authority of the job for which he is responsible. The state does not approve of this.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Especially here in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the state, as far as I have been informed, fights this with a severe and great struggle, and it has the right to do so because of the disruption of order, injustice, and the loss of rights involved in it.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So the state is to be thanked for this, but the shortcoming is from us, the citizens. Many people are overcome by emotion regarding this official; they do not like to subject him to the hand of justice, which will punish him and prevent this oppression and injustice from him.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Then, some people also say: "This will take a long time for me. If I raise the matter to the state, there will be questions and answers and delays, and I am not responsible for this." In reality, he is responsible for this, because if the state receives this news from this person and it is established with them, they will punish him, making him an example for those before him, those after him, and those behind him among the officials. By this, the great benefit is achieved for the state and for the officials themselves, as they will be deterred from this shameful, forbidden act.
In summary, a bribe is of two types: a bribe that is forbidden for both the recipient and the giver, which is that by which a falsehood is established or a right is paid.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And a bribe that is forbidden for the recipient but not for the giver, which is that by which the giver achieves his right or removes injustice from himself. However, even if this exists, it is obligatory that it be raised to the officials of the state so that this criminal receives his due punishment.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As for the questioner's question about gifts, we say to him: Gifts to officials in a case where you have a personal interest are, in reality, a form of bribery.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : It is established in the authentic collections that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent a man named Abdullah ibn al-Lutbiyah as a collector of alms. When he returned, he said: "This is for you, and this was given to me as a gift." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) became angry about this and said:
We appoint one of you to a job, and he comes and says: "This is for you, and this was given to me as a gift." So why does he not sit in his father's and mother's house and see if he is given a gift or not?
إنا نستعمل الرجل منكم على العمل فيأتي ويقول: هذا لكم وهذا أهدي إلي، فهلا جلس في بيت أبيه وأمه فيُنظر هل يُهدى له أم لاThe gifts of workers are embezzlement
هدايا العمال غلولThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So, gifts to workers and employees in a case that concerns you, in order for them to facilitate it for you, are in reality a form of bribery. Therefore, it is not permissible for a person to use them, because he is bribing them, except in the manner we mentioned before: if he wants to achieve his right and cannot achieve it except by that, then it is permissible for him and forbidden for the recipient. However, we do not encourage this act; rather, we see that it is obligatory for him to raise this and similar matters to the officials.
The questioner : Yes, so it is not permissible for the giver and the recipient?
The Shaykh : If the giver is compelled to this and cannot reach his right except by that, then he is in a state of necessity where he cannot lose his right.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And the sin is upon the recipient. However, if it is possible to raise the matter to the authorities so that they punish this man and give the owner of the right his right, then that is what is obligatory upon him.
The questioner : But is it permissible for him to pay, for example, to take his right and then remain silent, not raising this official?
The Shaykh : He must raise it, as we said.
The questioner : Yes, he must raise it...
The Shaykh : He must raise it to the officials, yes.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So that they carry out the necessary punishment upon him.
The questioner : Yes, this message reached us from a listener. He says: Your brother Sa'id Abu Bakr from al-Madinah al-Munawwarah. He says in his message: What is the ruling on wedding feasts? In reality, we always present this question in the program *Nur 'ala al-Darb* (Light on the Path) due to the many reports we receive about it and the many questions and inquiries we also receive regarding it.