Bribery: Payments for Getting Court Documents

By Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Posted: 6 Sha'ban 1423, 13 October 2002


Q.) 1) I work in a court. Many people come to take copies of the criminal cases relating to their relatives, or when their relative is released on bail, or when he is acquitted. They give some money to the staff as a reward. I want to know whether this money given to the staff of a judge by the relatives of accused persons on the occasions of acquittal of an accused or on his release on bail or for acquiring the copies of the case ,is haram in Islam or not.

Q.2) If it is haram then should I strongly stop my fellows from doing this act. It may be noted that I don't take that money. [Nazeer Ahmad]


A.) In principle, it is haram (strictly prohibited) to offer bribery and accept bribery. Bribery is a root of many evils. That is why Rasulullah Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, 'Both the giver and acceptor of bribery are in the fire.'

It appears the money given to the staff is bribery. If so, then it is haram for the staff to accept any bribery offered to them. If there is some other reason for offering the staff money, kindly explain. And Allah Ta'ala Knows Best