❖ Definition of Bribery:
Bribery is defined as:
"ما يُعْطَى لإبطالِ حَقٍّ أو لإحْقاقِ باطِلٍ"
“That which is given to annul a rightful claim or to establish something false is called bribery (رشوت).”
— at-Taʿrīfāt by al-Jurjānī, p. 111
❖ Ruling on Bribery:
Giving and taking bribes is ḥarām (strictly forbidden) in Islam.
Allah ﷻ says:
"O you who believe! Do not consume one another’s wealth unjustly."
(Surah an-Nisāʾ 4:29)
And:
"Help one another in righteousness and piety, and do not help one another in sin and transgression. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is severe in punishment."
(Surah al-Mā’idah 5:2)
❖ Prophetic Sayings (Aḥādīth):
From Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه), the Prophet ﷺ said:
"Allah curses the one who gives a bribe and the one who takes it."
— Musnad Aḥmad (2/387), Sunan at-Tirmidhī (1336), with a ḥasan chain
From ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ (رضي الله عنه):
"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ cursed the one who gives a bribe and the one who takes it."
— Musnad Aḥmad (2/164, 190, 194), Abū Dāwūd (3580), at-Tirmidhī (1337), Ibn Mājah (2313)
— Graded ḥasan ṣaḥīḥ by Imām at-Tirmidhī and ṣaḥīḥ by Imām Ibn al-Jārūd, Imām Ibn Ḥibbān, and others.
❖ View of the Companions:
Masrūq (رحمه الله) reported:
"I was sitting with ʿAbdullāh [ibn Masʿūd], and a man asked, 'What is suḥt (unlawful earning)?' He replied: 'Bribery.'
The man asked, 'In judgment?' He replied: 'That is disbelief (kufr).' Then he recited:
'And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed – then it is those who are the disbelievers.'
(Surah al-Mā’idah 5:44)
— Musnad Abī Yaʿlā (Hadith 5266), with an authentic chain
❖ Clarification:
If someone gives money or a gift to obtain their legitimate right or to ward off injustice, this is not classified as a bribe in Shariʿah. However, the one who accepts it still commits a sin, because no form of oppression is permissible.
❖ Additional Notes:
Bribery is a cause of Allah’s curse, brings no barakah (blessing) in wealth, steals peace from the heart, and leads to severe accountability on the Day of Judgement.
Bribery is defined as:
"ما يُعْطَى لإبطالِ حَقٍّ أو لإحْقاقِ باطِلٍ"
“That which is given to annul a rightful claim or to establish something false is called bribery (رشوت).”
— at-Taʿrīfāt by al-Jurjānī, p. 111
❖ Ruling on Bribery:
Giving and taking bribes is ḥarām (strictly forbidden) in Islam.
Allah ﷻ says:
"O you who believe! Do not consume one another’s wealth unjustly."
(Surah an-Nisāʾ 4:29)
And:
"Help one another in righteousness and piety, and do not help one another in sin and transgression. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is severe in punishment."
(Surah al-Mā’idah 5:2)
❖ Prophetic Sayings (Aḥādīth):
From Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه), the Prophet ﷺ said:
"Allah curses the one who gives a bribe and the one who takes it."
— Musnad Aḥmad (2/387), Sunan at-Tirmidhī (1336), with a ḥasan chain
From ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ (رضي الله عنه):
"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ cursed the one who gives a bribe and the one who takes it."
— Musnad Aḥmad (2/164, 190, 194), Abū Dāwūd (3580), at-Tirmidhī (1337), Ibn Mājah (2313)
— Graded ḥasan ṣaḥīḥ by Imām at-Tirmidhī and ṣaḥīḥ by Imām Ibn al-Jārūd, Imām Ibn Ḥibbān, and others.
❖ View of the Companions:
Masrūq (رحمه الله) reported:
"I was sitting with ʿAbdullāh [ibn Masʿūd], and a man asked, 'What is suḥt (unlawful earning)?' He replied: 'Bribery.'
The man asked, 'In judgment?' He replied: 'That is disbelief (kufr).' Then he recited:
'And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed – then it is those who are the disbelievers.'
(Surah al-Mā’idah 5:44)
— Musnad Abī Yaʿlā (Hadith 5266), with an authentic chain
❖ Clarification:
If someone gives money or a gift to obtain their legitimate right or to ward off injustice, this is not classified as a bribe in Shariʿah. However, the one who accepts it still commits a sin, because no form of oppression is permissible.
❖ Additional Notes:
- Bribery is a major sin.
- Bribery deprives others of their rights and corrupts justice.
- The one who gives a bribe is called رَاشِي (rāshī).
- The one who receives it is called مُرْتَشِي (murtashī).
- The mediator between them is called رَائِش (rā’ish).
Bribery is a cause of Allah’s curse, brings no barakah (blessing) in wealth, steals peace from the heart, and leads to severe accountability on the Day of Judgement.
