#926: On Purchasing Employment
“Assālamu’Alaykum Warahmatullāh Ustādh. Someone asked a question and from all indication, I think it is urgent. The question is: There is this recent thread of selling jobs in the country now.. My question is what is the Islamic view on buying a job. May Allāh bless your time”
ANSWER:
Wa Alaykum Salam Warahmatullah Wabarakaatuh.
May Allah answer your Prayers, amin.
Know, May Allah be pleased with us and you, that, not every giving of money to get something in return is referred to as bribe (Rashwah) in the Shari’ah.
It is mentioned in Al-Mirqaat Sharhu Al-Mishkaat:
“It has been mentioned (by the Fuqaha) that Rashwah (bribe) is what is given to induce what is wrongly due to be given or what is rightfully to be denied”
Al-Mubaarakfuuri said in Tuhfatu Al-Ahwadhi:
“As for what a person gives in order to attain what he is entitled to or to repel some harm from himself, it cannot be considered to be a part of it.”
This is a general rule.
As for the question asked, we do not, and Allah knows best, see anything wrong in this act provided it is not done in order to harm a person who you know would be given the same job if you had not given the money. And in this case, it would fall under the Ruling of harming your brother purposefully and be a thing of Haram.
What is clear, and Allah knows be is that the one who is collecting these monies from people is the one who is engrossed in the consumption of Haraam. This is because this transaction is one which has not been sanctioned by the employer. And it was the right of the one who was qualified to be chosen and employed.
Shaykhu Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah – rahimahullah – said:
“But if he were to give him some inducement in order to ward off some of his harm from himself or that he may give him his rightful right, this inducement is Haram with respect to the one who was given but permissible for the Giver…”
And Allah knows best.
Baarakallahu fikum.
📚 IslāmNode
