Corruption can manifest in various forms in society, including bribery, nepotism, embezzlement, fraud, cronyism, extortion, vote-buying, and favoritism. Corruption has a devastating impact on the economy and the society and that is why Islam strictly prohibits corruptions, the subject can be very long, so I will focus on bribery and see what the Qur’an and hadith has to say about it:
“And when it is said to them, “Do not cause corruption on the earth,” they say, “We are but reformers!” (Qur’an 2:11)
“If one of you sees something wrong, let him change it with his hand; if he cannot, then with his tongue (by speaking up); if he cannot, then with his heart (by refuting it) and that is the minimum required by faith”. “Hadith
“God cursed the one who pays a bribe, the one who takes it and the mediator between the two”. Hadith
The corruption in the Arab Muslim countries:
Although Islam strictly prohibits bribery, it is commonplace in most of the Arab Muslim countries.
The corruption often begins at the highest levels of government in these countries, particularly those ranked 70th and above on the transparency.org website:
Foreign companies seeking to invest in those countries which could help reduce unemployment have frequently reported being required to pay significant bribes to secure contracts. These payments are often made directly to the country’s highest authorities, whether the presidency, the monarchy, or military leaders such as generals and colonels, especially in nations with authoritarian regimes or those in power are entrenched for life.
The corruption extends down to government officials:
In many of these countries, bribery is a widespread practice among state employees, ranging from customs officials at the borders and police officers to those responsible for issuing administrative documents and when corruption infiltrates the justice system, the likelihood of a fair trial diminishes.
The hypocrisy:
Given that these individuals are fully aware of the severity of the danger corruption creates and that the hadith states God curses the one who pays a bribe, the one who accepts it, and the mediator between the two, they often justify their actions by lying to themselves and each others by saying, this is not a bribe, please consider it as a gift.
“Do they truly believe that God is unaware of what is hidden in their hearts or their intentions when they offer a bribe by passing it off as a gift? As the Qur’an clearly states: ‘Indeed, God knows the innermost secrets.’ (Qur’an 5:7) and “God knows the secrets of the heavens and the earth. And God is Fully Aware of what is in the breasts.’ (Qur’an 3:119)”
Remedy:
Muslims must not, in any way, shape, or form, contribute to corruption, whether through active participation, passive involvement, or silent complicity. Corruption is a serious injustice that must be confronted by both rejecting it and reporting any instances when they occur.
Imams in these countries have a responsibility to address this issue more frequently and speak out against it.
Note: As Muslims, it is our duty to condemn evil, but we must also be careful not to generalize the actions of a few individuals to the entire world. We should never associate such behavior with Islam, as Islam clearly rejects it!