Bribery is One of the Major Sins

From 'Abdul-'Aziz bin 'Abdullah bin Baz to my brother Muslims: May Allah Almighty guide us to the straight path and protect us from the painful punishment. May peace, and Allah's mercy and blessings be upon you.

Bribery is among the things that are sternly forbidden in Islam. It is defined as paying money for a service that the one who is receiving money is responsible to perform without taking that money. This offence becomes even more heinous in its nature if it takes away a right that belongs to someone or if it brings about what is wrong and false.

In his Hashiyah, Ibn 'Abidin, may Allah have mercy upon him, defined bribery as being, "What someone gives to a judge or someone else to rule in his favor or to do what he wants."

So it is clear from this that bribery includes both cases where the wealth or favor is used to make something more likely to occur as well as to guarantee it.

'Someone else' means anyone that a person wishes to pay off, whether he is the ruler of a country, a minister, a company, a broker, or anyone else. "To do what he wants' includes both an end that is just and an end that is false.

Bribery, my brothers, is not only one of the major sins that Allah Almighty has made unlawful, but the Messenger of Allah also cursed the one who practices it. Therefore it is obligatory to refrain from it and to warn others against it, explaining the great harm that results from it and the evil that is promoted by it. Allah Almighty has warned against cooperating with andBribery and its Effects promoting evil:
"Help you one another in virtue, righteousness, and piety; but do not help one another in sin and transgression."

Allah Almighty has forbidden us from falsely appropriating the wealth of others:
"O you who believe! Eat not up your property among yourselves unjustly except it be a trade among you, by mutual consent."

He also said:
"And eat up not one another's property unjustly, nor give a bribe to the rulers that you may knowingly eat up a part of the property of others sinfully."

Bribery is one of the worst forms of wrongly appropriating other peoples' wealth, because it involves paying somebody to distort the truth. The forbiddance of bribery applies to three cases; the one doing the bribing, the one accepting it, and the one negotiating the bribe. The Prophet ﷺ said:
"Allah has cursed the payer of a bribe, the receiver of a bribe, and the intermediary between them."
A curse from Allah Almighty means being banished and distanced from His Mercy we seek refuge in Allâh Almighty from that, and it is only issued for one of the major sins. Bribery is from the forbidden possessions mentioned in the Qur'an and Sunnah; Allâh Almighty has censured the Jews for consuming unlawful wealth - He Almighty said about them:
"(They like to) listen to falsehood and to devour (As-Suht) anything forbidden."

He also said about them:
"And you see many of them (Jews) hurrying for sin and transgression, and eating (As-Suht) illegal things. Evil indeed is that which they have been doing. Why do not the rabbis and the religious learned men forbid them from uttering sinful words and from cating (As-Suht) illegal things. Evil indeed is that which they have been performing."

And:
"For the wrongdoing of the Jews, We made unlawful to them certain good foods which had been lawful to them, and for their hindering many from Allah's Way; And their taking of Riba (usury or interest) though they were forbidden from taking it, and their devoring of men's substance wrongfully. And We have prepared for the disbelievers among them a painful torment."

There are many Hadiths that mention the stern warning against bribery, and the punishment for committing it. Ibn Jarir (At- Tabari) recorded Ibn 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, saying that the Prophet ﷺ said:
"Any human flesh that has been nourished by As-Suht, then the Fire is most suitable for it."

He was asked, "What is As-Suht?" he said:
"Taking a bribe in a ruling."

Imam Ahmad recorded that 'Umar bin Al-As, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say:
"There is no people in whom Riba abounds except that they will be punished with drought. And there is no people in whom bribery abounds except that they will be punished with terror."

At-Tabarani recorded that Ibn Mas'ud said, "As-Suht is bribery in the religion."

In Al-Mughni, Abu Muhammad Muwaffiq Ad-Din Ibn Quda- mah, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: "Al-Hasan and Sa'id bin Jubayr both said that the interpretation of 'As-Suht' in the saying of Allah Almighty is bribery."

He said: "When a judge takes a bribe, he has done an act of disbelief because he is prepared, by taking the bribe, to rule with other than what Allâh Almighty has revealed; and whoever does not judge by what Allah revealed, then these are the disbelievers."

Muslim recorded that Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"Indeed, Allah Almighty is good and he does not accept other than what is good. And Allah Almighty has ordered the believers with what he ordered the Messengers."

Allâh Almighty said:
"O (you) Messengers! Eat of the Tayibat (lawful things), and do righteous deeds.

He also said:
"O you who believe! Eat of the Tayibat (lawful things) that We have provided you with."

He then went on to mention the man who, dust-covered and unkempt from a long journey, raised his hands to the sky and said, "O my Lord, O my Lord." But his food was unlawful, his drink was unlawful, his clothes were unlawful, and nourished unlawfully. At this point, the Prophet said, "So how can he be answered (in his prayers)."

Then fear Allah Almighty, Muslims, and be wary of His wrath and anything that causes His anger. Allah Almighty is zealous when disregard is shown for what He has forbidden. For it is mentioned in an authentic Hadith:
"Nobody has more Ghirah (zealousness for the truth) than Allah."

So protect yourselves and your families from unlawful wealth and nourishment, saving yourselves and families from the fire that Allah has made for any flesh that was nourished by the unlawful. Eating what is unlawful also prevents one's supplica- tions from being accepted, as has been pointed out in the above- mentioned Hadith from Abu Hurairah and recorded by Muslim. At-Tabarani recorded that Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: "This verse was recited in the presence of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ:
"O mankind! Eat of that which is lawful and good on the earth".

Then Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas stood up and said, 'O Messenger of Allâh, supplicate to Allâh to make me someone whose prayers are answered. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"O Sa'd, Eat wholesome (lawful) food and you will be someone whose prayers are answered. And by the One Who has Muhammad's soul in His hand, a servant tosses a morsel of unlawful (food) into his inside, and because of it, Allah Almighty does not accept from him a deed for forty days. And any servant whose flesh grows from Suht, then the Fire is most appropriate for it."

In Jami' Al-'Ulum wal-Hikam, Al-Hafiz Ibn Rajb, may Allah have mercy upon him, mentioned narration of At-Tabarani and used it to indicate that unlawful sustenance precludes one's supplica- tions from being answered, and precludes those supplications from being raised to Allâh Almighty. This fact alone is a sufficient loss and ill effect for the one who commits the act - and we seek refuge in Allah Almighty from that.

Allâh Almighty has invited you to protect yourselves and your families from the Fire:
"O you who believe! Ward off yourselves and your families against a Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stones, over which are (appointed) angels stern (and) severe, who disobey not, (from executing) the Commands they receive from Allah, but do that which they are commanded."

If you, Muslims, answer your Lord's call, obey his commands, and stay away from his prohibitions, and from those things that cause His anger, you will achieve happiness in this world and in the Hereafter. Allâh Almighty says:
"O you who believe! Answer Allah (by obeying Him) and (His) Messenger when he calls you to that which will give you life, and know that Allah comes in between a person and his heart (i.e., prevents an evil person to decide anything). And verily to Him you shall (all) be gathered. And fear the Fitnah (affliction and trial, etc.) which affects not in particular (only) those of you who do wrong, and know that Allah is Severe in punishment."

We ask Allah Almighty to make us from those who hear what is said and then follow well, and from those who cooperate on what is good and righteous and who hold firm to Allah's Book and the Prophet's ﷺ Sunnah. We ask Allah Almighty to protect us from the evils of ourselves and of our deeds and to make His religion victorious, His Word the highest. We ask Him to guide our leaders to all that is in the best welfare of the Muslims and their lands. Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings upon you.