It is not permissible to violate laws established to serve a distinct public interest or to avert evident public harm

15-2-2024 | IslamWeb

Question:

Assalamualaikum.my Question is that my husband is a builder.according to government policy he is allowed to build only 2floor but he gives bribe to the development authority to build 4floor because if he built only 2floor nobody is going to buy flat for such a huge amount like 80lakh.if he built 4floor price will reduce to approx 50 or 55lakh which people buy.is my husband's work legal n his income is halaljQuery111005730972287117113_1703391909571plz clarify.JazakAllah

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

Laws that are established for a clear public interest or to prevent an evident public harm are not permissible to be violated, and what is done to circumvent them is considered a forbidden bribe. 'Abdullah ibn 'Amru reported that the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, 'cursed both the one who gives a bribe (the briber) and the one who takes it (the bribed)'. This is reported by At-Tirmidhi, and he classified it as Hasan (Good) and Authentic.

The fact that a person wants profit and the prosperity of his business does not justify him violating what is forbidden for the sake of the public interest.

However, this does not make the earnings your husband made from selling apartments forbidden. Rather, there is no blame on him for benefiting from it, but he is sinning by his violation and bribing, according to what we explained before.

Allah knows best.