What should a Muslim woman do in a country that prohibits the hijab if she is subjected to harassment and blackmail by the police, who demand a bribe in exchange for not imprisoning her or forcing her to remove her hijab publicly? Is she sinful for paying this bribe?

Bribery is forbidden and is considered among the major sins. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, cursed the one who gives a bribe (the briber), the one who takes a bribe (the bribed), and the intermediary between them. Bribery is defined as giving something to invalidate a right, to validate a falsehood, or to obtain something one does not deserve. However, if a person is compelled to pay money to escape from tribulation or a predicament, it is not forbidden for him to do so, because paying money is the lesser of two evils. In this case, the prohibition applies to the one who takes [the money], not to the one who gives [it].