Mufti Online — Madrasah Ta'leemuddeen

Extortion and Bribery

· 17 Shawwal 1433 AH1 min readEnglish

Question

As you answered us that "In Islam, the tenant occupies the premises (house or property) in exchange of the rent that he pays. As long as the tenant pays the stipulated rent, he is worthy of occupying the premises. When the lease ends and he is asked to leave the premises, then he is under obligation to leave. In Shariah he is not worthy of receiving any compensation in order to leave the property he was renting. Hence, in Islam the money that is being demanded as a compensation to vacate the property (which was being rented) is extortion, hence it is impermissible." and the question was "My question is regarding Gift or compensation. My grandfather lives in house as a tenant about 50 years. He died about 15 years ago. Now we recieve rs 15 lakhs as compensation to leave the house or evict the house. Now question arises that My grndfather have 4 sons, 1 daugter and a wife. How this will be distributed? Kindly note that the 2 sons have there own house & 2 sons do not have there own house property and a sisters financial condition is also not good." The final question is the concerned person has given the money happily to vacate the house for rehab. Now then how it is to be divided?

Answer

No person owning a premises will be pleased to pay a certain amount of money to his tenant to leave the premises. If he does so, it will be on account of complying with the government regulation, and this regulation is in conflict with the laws of Shariat. Hence, accepting the money in exchange of vacating the premises will amount to bribery and is thus impermissible. The money will have to be returned to the landlord.

References (Arabic / Urdu sources)

حدثنا الحسن بن علي الخلال حدثنا أبو عامر العقدي حدثنا كثير بن عبد الله بن عمرو بن عوف المزني عن أبيه عن جده : أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم قال الصلح جائز بين المسلمين إلا صلحا حرم حلالا أو أحل حراما والمسلمون على شروطهم إلا شرطا حرم حلالا أو حل حراما قال أبو عيسى هذا حديث حسن صحيح. (ترمذي 1/251)

ولا يستحق المشترك الأجر حتى يعمل كالقصار ونحوه ) كفتال وحمال

و قال في رد المحتار : قوله ( حتى يعمل ) لأن الإجارة عقد معاوضة فتقتضي المساواة بينهما فما لم يسلم المعقود عليه للمستأجر لا يسلم له العوض والمعقود عليه هو العمل أو أثره على ما بينا فلا بد من العمل ... وما لا أثر له كحمال له الأجر كما فرغ وإن لم يسلم (رد المحتار 6/64)

Answered by
Mufti Zakaria Makada
Checked & approved by
Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)
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Source: Mufti Online — Madrasah Ta'leemuddeen — https://muftionline.co.za/node/788
Fatawa SA: https://fatawa.co.za/fatwa/muftionline-788

People also ask

Is paying a bribe ever permissible?

“It is not permissible for you to give the employee 100 dollars secretly as this is a bribe which you are giving him for him giving you the deal. Bribery is haraam in Islam. If you give him 100 dollars, you will be assisting him…”

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