Taxes and Fines

Working as a clearing agent

Q: I have just engaged in seaport clearing agency insha Allah with the aim of observing Shariah and sunnah. But I'm faced with the following questions.

1. Short payment to the government custom duty is common. Is it allowed? Short payment is paying for HONDA 1999 instead of 2003. Majority are involved in this  even the custom officers overlook this.  Contracting the clearing out makes the case worse as they will hide the short payment.

2. Also in the clearing offices people pay some amount that are already normal things over there but are without receipt. Are we allowed to
pay such money when we don't have options and its already their system. eg vehicle examnation officer will not leave his office unless such amount is paid. No special treatment will be given for ones job except that its their norm.

3. Police on the way also ask for money even after you have correct papers. Can we give them money?

Importing goods on machinery license due to lower import duty

Q: Our government has imposed 30% duty on import of machinery on trade license but if we import on manufacturer license then the duty is 10%. But the manufacturer is not allowed to resell the machine. I was importing machines on someones manufacturers license and sell to my customers and save the tax. Now I am very much confused that either it is halaal or haram? Similarly my machine price is USD 14000 c&f but the government has fixed the amount USD 9700. So we under invoice to USD 9700. Please also let me know that either it is allowed or not?

Giving the driving inspector a bribe

Q: I will be going for my driving licence soon and I wanted to know mufti saab since the halaath of our ummuth is so bad and its full of corruption and that makes getting my driving licence even much harder to get and also an increased chance of failing, my question is about paying an extra fee which will go to the inspector for passing me. What should I do?

Muslim School fining parents

Q: 

  1. Muslim School fines parents £100.00 if they take children for a holiday during school term; the parents are forced to pay the fine, is this permissible? 
  2. If it’s not permissible for Muslim School to fine the parents £100.00 for taking children for a holiday during school term, and the School have fined the parents on previous occasions what should be done with the money, is it permissible for the School to use the money?

Extortion and Bribery

Q: As you answered us that "In Islam, the tenant occupies the premises (house or property) in exchange of the rent that he pays. As long as the tenant pays the stipulated rent, he is worthy of occupying the premises. When the lease ends and he is asked to leave the premises, then he is under obligation to leave. In Shariah he is not worthy of receiving any compensation in order to leave the property he was renting. Hence, in Islam the money that is being demanded as a compensation to vacate the property (which was being rented) is extortion, hence it is impermissible." and the question was "My question is regarding Gift or compensation. My grandfather lives in house as a tenant about 50 years. He died about 15 years ago. Now we recieve rs 15 lakhs as compensation to leave the house or evict the house. Now question arises that My grndfather have 4 sons, 1 daugter and a wife. How this will be distributed? Kindly note that the 2 sons have there own house & 2 sons do not have there own house property and a sisters financial condition is also not good." The final question is the concerned person has given the money happily to vacate the house for rehab. Now then how it is to be divided?