Bribery is a way of life in most of the world.

In the West, it's more sophisticated, rearing its ugly head in the form of white collar crime, kickbacks and political donations.

In the East, in countries like Pakistan, bribery is found not only at this level, but it's become a way of life even in day-to-day affairs. Getting your electricity to work, avoiding traffic violations, or getting your child admission into a good school almost always involve some kind of bribery.

Different people have different ways of handling this. Some people never bribe or accept bribes. In stead they use influence peddling to get what they need done. This is at least better than bribery.

Bribery is forbidden in Islam, although few are aware of this. The Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessings be upon him) has said that the person giving the bribe and the person accepting it will both be in the Hellfire.

Here are some ways you can avoid being bribed and encouraging others to do the same:

1. Look for someone higher up

The first place you may encounter bribery is at the airport in Pakistan. A customs officer may decide to bother you by asking for a bribe in return for a speedy processing of your luggage.

If this happens, talk to the officer's supervisor. If this person is not available, then look for an officer who has more stripes on his uniform and bring the issue to his attention. Don't be surprised if the officer who tried to bribe you suddenly disappears while you speak to his colleague of a higher in rank.

2. Know the procedures

Most of the time, bribery comes into the picture when a person does not know the rules and regulations of a process. So they end up offering bribes before they are even asked to do so to get their work done. Dump the assumption that you HAVE to bribe. Nobody has to. Take a firm stand and refuse to give or receive. If people bother you use other methods to deal with this obstacle. And if you know the rules and procedures, you are in a strong position to face off against a briber.

3. Make a scene

If you are in a public space (i.e. the airport, a shopping center) becoming louder with the person trying to bribe you can embarrass them and stop them from harassing you. But you should also be prepared to deal with the possible repercussions of such an action.

Similarly, try to conduct business in public place to reduce the chances of bribery happening. It's more likely to occur when two people are alone together than when they are in full public view. Public shame and humiliation still has a strong role in stopping a number of crimes in Pakistan.

4. Challenge bribery

Even if end up being forced to give in to bribery, you should not stop challenging this ugly practice. Islamic scholars have allowed that if a Muslim is denied a right which he or she must have because of a refusal to give a bribe and they have no choice about, bribery is tolerated.

However, this must not become an excuse to make bribery a way of life. Report the incident to institutions like the local branch of the National Accountability Board (NAB), which is aiming to wipe out corruption in Pakistan.

5. Educate others about the need to avoid bribery

You can display the above-mentioned Hadith about bribery in homes, in public spaces and encourage merchants to post it in their stores as a reminder to themselves and their customers.

You can also ask a local Imam to give a Khutbah or Islamic lesson to mosque-goers based on this Hadith about bribery, while suggesting concrete ways to resist it.

In addition, instill in yourself contentment with what you have and promote it amongst family and friends. Emphasize the need to avoid jealousy and envy in material things which often leads people to bribe.

Date/Time Last Modified: 6/17/2002 3:49:02 PM

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