Ruling on an employee taking a gift such as promotional item from another company
Question I am issuing orders for purchase of various items for our Institute. The decision was taken by a purchase commttee (ie which item & what rates and whom to be purchase) My work only to type the order & issue to the concern company. If any one give me gift in kinds like diary,…
Question
items for our Institute. The decision was taken by a purchase commttee (ie which item
& what rates and whom to be purchase) My work only to type the order & issue to
the concern company. If any one give me gift in kinds like diary, calander, T-shirts etc.
Is it is allowed (jayaj) to accept such items of gift. please clarify in details what is
gift & what is bribe (Hindi/urdu word riswate).
Praise be to Allah.
We put the following question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih
al’-Uthaymeen
Some companies give away promotional gifts to other companies with whom
they have connections, and some of these promotional gifts may be of high value, such as
watches, and some may be of lesser value, such as ordinary pens, diaries, calendars or
t-shirts with the company logo. What is the ruling on such things?
Let us suppose, for example, that a company is trying to market a specific
product, such as lumber etc., so they go to other construction companies who buy lumber
and give their employees items promoting the lumber company, so that this company will
gain a reputation and be known to the employees of the construction company. These gifts
may vary in value. Is it permissible for the employees of the construction company to
accept these gifts?
He answered, may Allaah preserve him:
“I am afraid that this may involve toying with the market or that it
may lead to treachery on the part of those who take these gifts. I think that it is not
allowed.”
Question:
Could we say that if these gifts that the company gives out as advertising
are given to the general public, such as calendars, for example, then they may take them,
but if they are given exclusively to these employees or they are of high values, they
should not take them?
The Shaykh said:
“This is our fatwa, but there is still the fear that this is done in
order to toy with the market, for example, if there is a company working with you and they
give you a gift like those they give to the general public, then this is OK, because it
does not affect anyone. But if the gift is given in an attempt to win customers and make
it harder for competitors, then this gift should not be accepted. And Allaah knows
best.”
