Ruling on paying a bribe to establish the truth and refute falsehood
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Question:
Your Eminence, what is the Shari'ah ruling on one who pays a bribe in order to establish the truth and refute falsehood? Knowing that if the bribe is not paid, the falsehood will be established—may Allah forbid it.
Answer:
The Shaykh: In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy. Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send blessings and peace upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance.
As for what follows: Allah Mighty and Majestic has forbidden bribery, and He has cursed the one who offers the bribe and the one who accepts it through the tongue of His Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). The meaning of bribery is: offering money so that the recipient turns away from the truth to falsehood, or so that the briber is given something that is not his right, or so that he is preferred over others, or for something similar to that which is false. This is bribery. It is not permissible to offer it to any person; rather, it is among the major sins, among consuming the wealth of people by falsehood, and among the causes of societal corruption and the loss of truth.
Even if the one who offers it claims that he wants to establish the truth, he has no right to offer the bribe. Rather, it is obligatory for him to refrain from it, and to seek his right through the Shari'ah means that Allah has prescribed for His servants and made permissible for them.
If this door were opened, every person would claim that he is seeking the truth, and that he only offered it for a right. No, bribery is illicit, forbidden wealth for the one who gives it, the one to whom it is given, and the employee.
And for the one in charge of affairs whom one wants to bribe—he should fear Allah, and adhere to the truth. And if it becomes known from him that he deviates from that, it is obligatory for the one who knows this to testify against him regarding his bad conduct, so that he may receive his punishment through discipline, dismissal, and the like.
Your Eminence, what is the Shari'ah ruling on one who pays a bribe in order to establish the truth and refute falsehood? Knowing that if the bribe is not paid, the falsehood will be established—may Allah forbid it.
Answer:
The Shaykh: In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy. Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send blessings and peace upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance.
As for what follows: Allah Mighty and Majestic has forbidden bribery, and He has cursed the one who offers the bribe and the one who accepts it through the tongue of His Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). The meaning of bribery is: offering money so that the recipient turns away from the truth to falsehood, or so that the briber is given something that is not his right, or so that he is preferred over others, or for something similar to that which is false. This is bribery. It is not permissible to offer it to any person; rather, it is among the major sins, among consuming the wealth of people by falsehood, and among the causes of societal corruption and the loss of truth.
Even if the one who offers it claims that he wants to establish the truth, he has no right to offer the bribe. Rather, it is obligatory for him to refrain from it, and to seek his right through the Shari'ah means that Allah has prescribed for His servants and made permissible for them.
If this door were opened, every person would claim that he is seeking the truth, and that he only offered it for a right. No, bribery is illicit, forbidden wealth for the one who gives it, the one to whom it is given, and the employee.
And for the one in charge of affairs whom one wants to bribe—he should fear Allah, and adhere to the truth. And if it becomes known from him that he deviates from that, it is obligatory for the one who knows this to testify against him regarding his bad conduct, so that he may receive his punishment through discipline, dismissal, and the like.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.