What is the ruling on a company — that provides in-home medical services — receiving a sum of money from hospitals in exchange for coordinating the referral of patients to them, without increasing the cost to the patient? And what is the ruling on the company paying a sum of money to a doctor in exchange for his promotion of the possibility of performing X-rays and lab tests through it?
The original ruling for this act is permissibility, but it is a strong cause for great corruption. Therefore, the glorious prohibited gifts to employees and called them "ghulul" (embezzlement or illicit gain) because they are likely to sway one's heart and lead to favoritism in work. What is meant by "sadd al-dhara'i'" (blocking the means) is an act whose outward appearance is permissible, but it serves as a means to commit something forbidden. The matter cannot be left to the employee's conscience. For this reason, it is imperative to prohibit taking anything from the hospital in exchange for referring a patient to it, as well as paying anything to doctors to promote it. This falls under the principle of sadd al-dhara'i', which leads to these corrupt practices.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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- Original fatwa ID
- 188608
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- . 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.
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