Backbiting - Islamic School System - Dawat-e-Islami

ِّ334 Backbiting – A Cancer in our Society8 Examples of backbiting about drivers1. He is a rough driver.2. He runs red lights.3. That bus driver tries to overcharge.4. He does not know how to drive.5. He dozes off while driving.6. He rides the motorbike without a license.7. They fill the bus with passengers as if they were loading a herd of cattle.8. He stops the long-route bus at so-and-so restaurant because he gets free food from there.I hereby present to you an informative Fatwā (religious verdict) from Dawat-e-Islami’sDār-ul-Iftā Aĥl-e-Sunnat, with intent to safeguard the drivers of long-route bustransportation and restaurant personnel etc. from sins. Read this and reflect upon yourHereafter:Long-route buses making stops at specific restaurantsQuestion: Long-route buses stop at specific restaurants so that the passenger may buytheir food and meals from this restaurant, thus boosting their revenues. In return, thedrivers and ticket-collectors on these buses get free meals or a commission. What do yousay about this setup? Food or money received in this manner is Ḥalāl or Ḥarām? Vۡ]ُ‏ُ[ا cۡ xِ(Please reply and gather virtuous reward).Answer: In the aforementioned situation, the food given by the restaurant and eaten bythe bus drivers and conductors falls under bribery and thus it is not allowed, it isconsidered Ḥarām and could lead one to the Hellfire. The restaurant offers free food as aconsideration to influence them to stop at their restaurant on their subsequent trips,which in turn provides for material gains for the restaurant and this is bribery. Islamicjurists contend that the difference between gift and bribery is that the bribe is offeredon the condition that the person receiving it will favour the giver in some manner. Onthe other hand, a gift is given unconditionally receiving nothing in return. (Fatḥ-ul-Qadīr,vol. 7, pp. 254)ا‏َُوۡ‏