What is the ruling on paying a bribe to a government employee to establish the company's lost right, and what is the ruling on taking a bonus from the company if the right is established through bribery, given that the tax authority inspected the company's documents for previous years for which taxes had been paid, and imposed additional taxes due to errors made by its employees, and the dispute continued for three years despite the submission of documents proving the errors, and an employee offered to reduce the amount in exchange for a bribe?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
The forbidden bribe is that which is paid to invalidate a right or establish a falsehood. As for what is paid to attain a right or repel injustice, it is permissible for the payer and forbidden for the recipient. This has been confirmed by Ibn Mas'ud and a group of Tabi'in, who permitted a man to make terms for himself and his property if he feared injustice. Therefore, there is no blame in paying money to an employee to remove injustice and establish truth, and the sin falls upon the recipient, not the giver.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 168888
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- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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