Excerpt from the book “Aḥkām wa Masāʾil fī Ḍawʾ al-Kitāb wa al-Sunnah” by Shaykh Mubashir Ahmad Rabbānī
What is the definition of bribery (رشوت) and what is its legal status in Islamic law? Kindly answer in light of the Qur’an and Sunnah.
Before understanding the ruling on bribery (رشوت) in Islamic law, it is necessary to understand its definition.
ʿAllāmah Sharīf Jurjānī رحمه الله states:
الرشوة ما يعطى لإبطال حق أو إحقاق باطل
“Bribery is that which is given to invalidate a right or to establish falsehood.”
[Kitāb al-Taʿrīfāt, p. 116]
Ṣāḥib al-Miṣbāḥ al-Munīr writes:
ما يعطيه الشخص الحاكم وغيره ليحكم له أو يحمله على ما يريد
“That which a person gives to a judge or another to make him rule in his favor, or to persuade him to do what he wants, is called bribery.”
[Miṣbāḥ al-Munīr, p. 228]
A similar definition is cited by Shaykh Muḥammad Thānvī in Kashshāf Iṣṭilāḥāt al-Funūn (vol. 3, p. 86). Also refer to Tāj al-ʿArūs (10/150).
Imām Ibn al-Athīr al-Jazarī رحمه الله states:
الرشوة (بالكسر والضم) الوصلة إلى الحاجة بالمصانعة
“Bribery (with kasrah or ḍammah on the rā') is reaching one’s need through flattery or favouring.”
He adds:
وأما ما يعطى توصلا إلى أحد حق أو دفع ظلم فغير داخل فى الرشوة
“That which is given to attain one's rightful due or to repel oppression is not included in bribery.”
[al-Nihāyah fī Gharīb al-Ḥadīth wal-Athar, 2/266; also see Jāmiʿ al-Maqāṣid, p. 363]
The great ḥadīth scholar, Imām al-Dhahabī, writes:
Allah Almighty said in Sūrat al-Baqarah [2:188]:
﴿وَلَا تَأْكُلُوا أَمْوَالَكُمْ بَيْنَكُمْ بِالْبَاطِلِ وَتُدْلُوا بِهَا إِلَى الْحُكَّامِ لِتَأْكُلُوا فَرِيقًا مِنْ أَمْوَالِ النَّاسِ بِالْإِثْمِ وَأَنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ﴾
“Do not consume one another’s wealth unjustly, nor use it to bribe the rulers so that you may consume a portion of the property of others sinfully while you know [it is wrong].”
Explaining this, he said:
“Do not win their favor with your wealth, and do not bribe them to give you what is the right of others while you know this is unlawful for you.”
He further states after quoting relevant ḥadīths:
إنما تلحق اللعنة الراشي إذا قصد بها أذية مسلم أو ليدفع له بها ما لا يستحق
“The curse of Allah falls upon the briber (rāshi) if his intention is to harm a Muslim or to gain something he has no right to.”
أما إذا أعطى ليتوصل إلى حق له أو ليدفع عن نفسه ظلما فإنه غير داخل فى اللعنة
“However, if he gives something to attain his own right or to protect himself from oppression, then he is not included in the curse.”
أما الحاكم فالرشوة عليه حرام سواء أبطل بها حقا أو دفع بها ظلما
“As for the ruler or judge, accepting bribery is ḥarām—whether he uses it to invalidate a right or to repel injustice.”
والرائش وهو الساعي بالرشوة تابع للراشي فى قصده إن قصد خيرا لم تلحقه اللعنة وإلا لحقته
“The rā’ish (middleman who facilitates bribery) is considered a follower of the briber. If his intention is good, he is not accursed, otherwise he too is cursed.”
[Kitāb al-Kabā’ir by al-Dhahabī, pp. 142–143]
From the above scholarly definitions and statements, it becomes clear that:
✔ Bribery refers to giving wealth to influence a decision unjustly, especially by snatching someone else's right.
✔ The giver, the taker, and the facilitator (rā’ish) are all equally sinful when the intent is unjust gain.
✔ However, if someone is forced to give bribe merely to retrieve their own right or to avoid harm, the giver is not sinful, while the taker remains accountable and sinful—especially if he is a judge or authority figure.
﴿وَلَا تَأْكُلُوا أَمْوَالَكُمْ بَيْنَكُمْ بِالْبَاطِلِ وَتُدْلُوا بِهَا إِلَى الْحُكَّامِ...﴾
“Do not consume one another’s wealth unjustly, nor present it [as bribes] to judges, intending thereby to consume a portion of others’ wealth sinfully while you know [it is wrong].”
[Sūrat al-Baqarah: 188]
This verse addresses the entire Ummah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, prohibiting all forms of unlawful consumption of wealth—including gambling, fraud, usurpation, denial of rights, unauthorized use of someone’s property, income from fornication, earnings of soothsayers, price of alcohol and swine, interest (ribā), and bribery (rashwah).
Imām al-Baghawī رحمه الله comments:
لا تعطوها الحكام على سبيل الرشوة ليغيروا الحكم
“Do not give your wealth to rulers as bribes so that they may alter their judgment in your favor.”
[Jāmiʿ al-Bayān, p. 362]
Imām al-Qurṭubī also echoes this understanding.
Allah mentions among the evil traits of the Jews:
﴿سَمَّاعُونَ لِلْكَذِبِ أَكَّالُونَ لِلسُّحْتِ﴾
“They are avid listeners to falsehood and devourers of unlawful gain (suḥt).”
[Sūrat al-Māʾidah: 42]
Masrūq said:
“I asked ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd رضي الله عنه about suḥt, and he said: ‘It is bribery.’
I then asked him about injustice in judgment, and he said: ‘That is disbelief (kufr).’”
[Bayhaqī: 10/139, ḥadīth no. 20179]
❖ Bribery (رشوت) in Islamic law is strictly forbidden when used to alter justice, gain someone else’s right, or pervert judgment.
❖ The briber, the recipient, and the facilitator all bear responsibility and sin.
❖ If a person is forced to offer money to attain a rightful due or to repel injustice, then only the recipient is sinful.
❖ Bribery is among the major sins (kabā’ir) in Islam and leads to Allah’s curse.
❖ Question:
What is the definition of bribery (رشوت) and what is its legal status in Islamic law? Kindly answer in light of the Qur’an and Sunnah.
✿ Answer:
Before understanding the ruling on bribery (رشوت) in Islamic law, it is necessary to understand its definition.
◈ Definition of Bribery in Sharīʿah:
ʿAllāmah Sharīf Jurjānī رحمه الله states:
الرشوة ما يعطى لإبطال حق أو إحقاق باطل
“Bribery is that which is given to invalidate a right or to establish falsehood.”
[Kitāb al-Taʿrīfāt, p. 116]
Ṣāḥib al-Miṣbāḥ al-Munīr writes:
ما يعطيه الشخص الحاكم وغيره ليحكم له أو يحمله على ما يريد
“That which a person gives to a judge or another to make him rule in his favor, or to persuade him to do what he wants, is called bribery.”
[Miṣbāḥ al-Munīr, p. 228]
A similar definition is cited by Shaykh Muḥammad Thānvī in Kashshāf Iṣṭilāḥāt al-Funūn (vol. 3, p. 86). Also refer to Tāj al-ʿArūs (10/150).
Imām Ibn al-Athīr al-Jazarī رحمه الله states:
الرشوة (بالكسر والضم) الوصلة إلى الحاجة بالمصانعة
“Bribery (with kasrah or ḍammah on the rā') is reaching one’s need through flattery or favouring.”
He adds:
وأما ما يعطى توصلا إلى أحد حق أو دفع ظلم فغير داخل فى الرشوة
“That which is given to attain one's rightful due or to repel oppression is not included in bribery.”
[al-Nihāyah fī Gharīb al-Ḥadīth wal-Athar, 2/266; also see Jāmiʿ al-Maqāṣid, p. 363]
◈ Statement of Imām al-Dhahabī رحمه الله:
The great ḥadīth scholar, Imām al-Dhahabī, writes:
Allah Almighty said in Sūrat al-Baqarah [2:188]:
﴿وَلَا تَأْكُلُوا أَمْوَالَكُمْ بَيْنَكُمْ بِالْبَاطِلِ وَتُدْلُوا بِهَا إِلَى الْحُكَّامِ لِتَأْكُلُوا فَرِيقًا مِنْ أَمْوَالِ النَّاسِ بِالْإِثْمِ وَأَنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ﴾
“Do not consume one another’s wealth unjustly, nor use it to bribe the rulers so that you may consume a portion of the property of others sinfully while you know [it is wrong].”
Explaining this, he said:
“Do not win their favor with your wealth, and do not bribe them to give you what is the right of others while you know this is unlawful for you.”
He further states after quoting relevant ḥadīths:
إنما تلحق اللعنة الراشي إذا قصد بها أذية مسلم أو ليدفع له بها ما لا يستحق
“The curse of Allah falls upon the briber (rāshi) if his intention is to harm a Muslim or to gain something he has no right to.”
أما إذا أعطى ليتوصل إلى حق له أو ليدفع عن نفسه ظلما فإنه غير داخل فى اللعنة
“However, if he gives something to attain his own right or to protect himself from oppression, then he is not included in the curse.”
أما الحاكم فالرشوة عليه حرام سواء أبطل بها حقا أو دفع بها ظلما
“As for the ruler or judge, accepting bribery is ḥarām—whether he uses it to invalidate a right or to repel injustice.”
والرائش وهو الساعي بالرشوة تابع للراشي فى قصده إن قصد خيرا لم تلحقه اللعنة وإلا لحقته
“The rā’ish (middleman who facilitates bribery) is considered a follower of the briber. If his intention is good, he is not accursed, otherwise he too is cursed.”
[Kitāb al-Kabā’ir by al-Dhahabī, pp. 142–143]
Summary of the Scholars’ View:
From the above scholarly definitions and statements, it becomes clear that:
✔ Bribery refers to giving wealth to influence a decision unjustly, especially by snatching someone else's right.
✔ The giver, the taker, and the facilitator (rā’ish) are all equally sinful when the intent is unjust gain.
✔ However, if someone is forced to give bribe merely to retrieve their own right or to avoid harm, the giver is not sinful, while the taker remains accountable and sinful—especially if he is a judge or authority figure.
◈ Qur'anic Evidence
﴿وَلَا تَأْكُلُوا أَمْوَالَكُمْ بَيْنَكُمْ بِالْبَاطِلِ وَتُدْلُوا بِهَا إِلَى الْحُكَّامِ...﴾
“Do not consume one another’s wealth unjustly, nor present it [as bribes] to judges, intending thereby to consume a portion of others’ wealth sinfully while you know [it is wrong].”
[Sūrat al-Baqarah: 188]This verse addresses the entire Ummah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, prohibiting all forms of unlawful consumption of wealth—including gambling, fraud, usurpation, denial of rights, unauthorized use of someone’s property, income from fornication, earnings of soothsayers, price of alcohol and swine, interest (ribā), and bribery (rashwah).
Imām al-Baghawī رحمه الله comments:
لا تعطوها الحكام على سبيل الرشوة ليغيروا الحكم
“Do not give your wealth to rulers as bribes so that they may alter their judgment in your favor.”
[Jāmiʿ al-Bayān, p. 362]
Imām al-Qurṭubī also echoes this understanding.
◈ Another Verse Mentioning Bribery Indirectly:
Allah mentions among the evil traits of the Jews:
﴿سَمَّاعُونَ لِلْكَذِبِ أَكَّالُونَ لِلسُّحْتِ﴾
“They are avid listeners to falsehood and devourers of unlawful gain (suḥt).”
[Sūrat al-Māʾidah: 42]Masrūq said:
“I asked ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd رضي الله عنه about suḥt, and he said: ‘It is bribery.’
I then asked him about injustice in judgment, and he said: ‘That is disbelief (kufr).’”
[Bayhaqī: 10/139, ḥadīth no. 20179]
Conclusion:
❖ Bribery (رشوت) in Islamic law is strictly forbidden when used to alter justice, gain someone else’s right, or pervert judgment.
❖ The briber, the recipient, and the facilitator all bear responsibility and sin.
❖ If a person is forced to offer money to attain a rightful due or to repel injustice, then only the recipient is sinful.
❖ Bribery is among the major sins (kabā’ir) in Islam and leads to Allah’s curse.
