Is the importer liable for paying a bribe if the shipping company paid it to clear goods from the port?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
"The agreement made by the questioner with the shipping company to transport goods from China to his country is a permissible form of (leasing/hiring), provided that the object of the contract is permissible in Islamic law, and the fee is known and specified by both parties. The questioner is not legally responsible for the company paying a bribe to clear the goods, as this falls outside the agreement. The company is permitted to pay a bribe if it is forced to do so and there is no other means to clear the goods or avert harm."
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/88143
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 88143
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy