Bribery: Is It Ḥarām to Pay Officials to Get Legitimate Work Done?

Practical Laws of Islam as per the teachings of Imam Khamenei

Bribery: Is It Ḥarām to Pay Officials to Get Legitimate Work Done?

English:

Question #1241:

One may find it necessary, in order to get one’s legitimate business finished easily, to pay money to the official concerned in a particular department. The person is fully aware that if they did not pay this money they would not get the business done. Does this amount to bribery and is it harām ? Or should the necessity which pushed him to pay the money prevent it from falling in the category of bribery and from being considered harām ?

Answer #1241:

Giving any money or the like to the employees of any department — who are responsible for performing people’s works — in return for a favour in facilitating one’s business, which inevitably leads to spreading corruption in such departments, is harām as per Islamic law. The illusion of “necessity” does not justify this practice.

-Imam Khamenei, Practical Laws of Islam, Importance and Conditions of Bribery - PDF Version Page 203