Bribery (al-rishwa)

The speaker says bribery is a major sin, and that the one who gives and the one who takes are both cursed ¹. He asks whether bribery has disappeared, criticises people who call a bribe a gift or a tip, and says a neighbour who is not safe is a sign of failure ². He says people call the unlawful by other names and then expect answers to their prayers, and urges a person to re-examine his repentance ³. He says gifts to officials are bribery, and criticises people who justify bribery under various headings ⁴.

The speaker says the family of a bribe-taker suffers, and that wealth gained unlawfully brings no blessing ⁵. He criticises officials who use their position to wrong the weak and deny them their rights, and says the weak have only God ⁶.

He cites a hadith that gifts offered to officials are a form of dishonesty, and recounts Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz refusing a gift (needs_source: the anecdote is not sourced in the recording) ⁷. He cites a hadith about an official whom the Prophet ﷺ sent, who came back with gifts, and the Prophet's anger; he sets against it Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz refusing a gift ⁸. He asks why a giver offers a gift, and says gifts within the family are fine, but gifts tied to office are not ⁹.