Ayatollah Sistani’s fatwa on bribery states that giving a bribe to obtain one’s rights is permissible.
In a recent inquiry to Ayatollah Sistani’s office regarding bribery, he stated that bribery in Islamic jurisprudence specifically pertains to judicial matters. He declared that paying a bribe is permissible under certain conditions, but receiving it is forbidden for a judge.
The text of the inquiry is as follows: Question: What is the ruling on giving a bribe in a situation where obtaining one’s right is dependent on giving it? Answer: Bribery, in religious law, is confined to the realm of judiciary, and giving it to obtain one’s right is permissible, although receiving it is forbidden.
