I am responsible for business development and marketing of a company; we supply industrial material and get contracts/ projects. But almost 90% of our very low/reasonable profit quotations are rejected as we did not pay any commission/bribe to the procurement/purchasing department whose responsibility is to just award us the order or contract. We are into loss as a result. Is it permissible in any condition to pay them money/gift etc? Secondly if any person awards us a contract can we give him a gift/cash/hotel stay etc which is neither fixed nor agreed earlier, just as a good will that he helped. Kindly if you can give a detailed answer as being a Muslim I need to make sure that I do not earn a single rupee haram.
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
(Fatwa: 631/585/N=1434)
(1) If the purchasing is rejected by the concerned department without any reason then it is a kind of injustice from their side. You may give them something as a gift in order to save yourself from their injustice. In this case you shall receive no sins.
(2) If that person gives you the order or contract for himself and he is not a wakil from any other person then as per approbation it is lawful to give him something as gift or cash or arrange his stay in any hotel etc.
Allah knows Best!
Darul Ifta,
Darul Uloom Deoband