Is money given to a health inspector as "car fare," "coffee money," or "for the sake of God" considered a bribe if the shop owner swears to give it, knowing that the employee's salary is insufficient?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
The money offered to you for laxity in oversight is a forbidden bribe, for Allah Almighty says: "And do not consume one another's property unjustly or send it [in bribery] to the rulers that you may knowingly consume thereby a portion of the property of others sinfully." And the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, cursed the briber and the bribed. You are not permitted to take it, and it must be returned to its owners, or disposed of by spending it on charitable causes with the intention of ridding oneself of the unlawful.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/94293
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 94293
- 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