What is the ruling on exchanging gifts between female colleagues at work, and what is the ruling on offering chocolate to the manager? Is the money given to nurses in the hospital considered a bribe? What should the claimant do to repent from that, and are her previous prayers and fasting affected?

A gift is commendable for bringing hearts together and strengthening brotherhood, whereas a bribe is forbidden due to the injustices and transgressions it leads to. The difference is clear: a gift is given out of love, while a bribe is given so the giver can obtain something to which they are not entitled. Gifts to employees: If they are given due to official authority (like a manager or a judge), they are forbidden because they might lead to favoritism, with the exception of trivial items like chocolates distributed to everyone. Gifts among colleagues are permissible out of love, but gifts to a female manager are forbidden due to the possibility of them influencing decisions. As for gifts to doctors and nurses, they are forbidden, except for trivial things that are customarily overlooked, to prevent neglecting other patients or demanding a gift before providing service. If someone committed a forbidden act unknowingly, Allah forgives them, and that does not affect their previous acts of worship; they only need to stop doing it. One must turn away from sinful whispers, seek refuge in Allah from them, and seek help by combining cognitive, behavioral, faith-based, and material treatments.