Muharamat - Prohibitions That Are Taken Too Lightly. Islamic book

Accepting a gift in return for interceding

To have a position of high standing among people is one of the blessings of Allaah to His slave, if he is grateful. One way in which a person may give thanks for this blessing is by using his position to benefit other Muslims. This is part of the general meaning of the hadeeth: “Whoever among you is able to benefit his brother, then let him do so.” (Reported by Muslim, 4/1726). The person who uses his position to benefit others by averting injustice or bringing some good, without doing anything that is haraam or infringes on the rights of others, will be rewarded by Allaah, so long as his intention is sincere, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us: “Intercede, you will be rewarded.” (Reported by Abu Dawud, 5132; the hadeeth is also reported in al-Saheehayn, see Fath al-Baari, 10/450,Kitaab al-adab, Baab ta’aawun al-mu’mineen ba’duhum ba’dan).

It is not permitted to accept anything in return for this intercession or mediation. Evidence for this may be seen in the hadeeth narrated by Abu Umaamah (may Allaah be pleased with him): "Whoever intercedes for someone then accepts a gift (in return for it), has committed a serious type of riba." (Reported by Imaam Ahmad, 5/261; see Saheeh al-Jaami', 6292).

Some people offer the opportunity to benefit from their position, in return for a sum of money, in order to help someone get a job, or a transfer from one office or area to another, or treatment for the sick, etc. The soundest opinion is that this exchange is haraam, because of the hadeeth of Abu Umaamah quoted above, whose apparent meaning is that accepting such gifts is wrong, even if no agreement was previously made. (From the spoken statements of 'Abd al-'Azeez ibn Baaz). The reward which the doer of good will receive from Allaah on the Day of Judgement should be sufficient. A man came to al-Hasan ibn Sahl asking him to intercede for him in some matter, which he did; then the man came to thank him. Al-Hasan ibn Sahl said to him, "Why are you thanking us? We believe that zakaat is due on positions of rank just as it is due on wealth." (Ibn Muflih, al-Aadaab al-Shar'iyyah, 2/176).

It is worth pointing out here that there is a difference between hiring someone to do legal paperwork for you and paying him wages in return, which has to do with the legitimate hiring of labour, and using a person's position to intercede for you in return for money, which is haraam.