I paid money to someone to complete a transaction for me; is this a bribe?
Short answer
Not every form is the same: if the money is for an employee to put you ahead of others or give you what is not your right, it is bribery; but a fee for an independent agent who follows up a permissible transaction for you may be permissible, depending on the form.
Evidence and explanation
The Shaykh distinguished between money paid to an employee to wrong others or put the payer ahead of others, and the fee of an agent who works at following up a legitimate transaction.
Scholar referenced
This editorial summary is based on the original source linked below and is not presented as a verbatim quotation from the scholar.
From the text of the answer (Arabic, with an English translation)
Original answer — Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Baz
حكم من دفع مالًا لمن أنجز له معاملة — فتوى ١٣٥٨٦- Question
«يقول: ما حكم من يدفع مبلغًا ما، لشخص لقضاء مصلحة من حقه شرعًا قضاؤها مجانًا، مع العلم أنه من غير هذا المبلغ لا يمكن أن يقضيها، ويمكن أن ينتظر أيامًا وشهورًا، ولا يوجد عنده الوقت للانتظار؟»
English translation (unreviewed): He says: What is the ruling on one who pays a sum to a person to get a matter done which it is his right under the Shari'ah to have done free of charge, knowing that without this sum it cannot be done, and he might wait days and months, and he has no time to wait?
- From the text of the answer
«هذا السؤال فيه إجمال، فإن كان هذا العمل يتضمن ظلم الآخرين؛ وذلك بالرشوة فلا يجوز، لأنه إذا كانت الرشوة إذا كان يعطيه رشوة حتى يقدمه على غيره، وحتى يظلم غيره، فالرشوة حرام منكر. أما إذا كان وكيلًا له، يعطيه مالًا؛ ليسعى في إخراج معاملة له، أو في خصومة له، فلا حرج في ذلك؛ لتعبه عن وكالته.»
English translation (unreviewed): This question is general. If this act involves wronging others, through bribery, it is not permissible, for if he gives him a bribe so that he is put ahead of others, and so that others are wronged, then bribery is forbidden and an evil. But if it is as an agent for him, he gives him money to work on completing a transaction for him or in a dispute of his, there is no harm in that, for his effort in his agency.
The Arabic excerpts matched the original page word for word by an automated check and have not had human scholarly review. The English translations are unreviewed translations made for this site; they are not an approved Shari‘ah translation. Rely on the Arabic original.
Source
Ruling on one who paid money to someone who completed a transaction for him
Title of the original page (Arabic): حكم من دفع مالًا لمن أنجز له معاملة
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Baz, may Allah have mercy on him