What is the ruling on paying money to a lawyer to defend a guilty prisoner, and when is such payment Islamically permissible and when is it not?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
A lawyer is not permitted to defend except what is just, based on the prophetic tradition: "Whoever aids in falsehood to refute a truth with that falsehood has disavowed himself from the protection of Allah and His Messenger." The truth of a case, as opposed to its falsehood, can be ascertained by consulting scholars. The payment of the lawyer's fee follows the origin of the case: it is permissible to pay it if the case is just, and impermissible if it is false.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/48327
Where this answer came from
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- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 48327
- 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