One of the most important rules of conduct for the judge is...

One of the most important rules of conduct for the judge is to be on guard against bribery when passing judgement, because that amounts to unlawful gain, unfaithful conduct and transgression and has been forbidden by the noble Qur'an: "Consume not your goods between you in vanity; neither proffer it to the judges, that you may sinfully consume a portion of other men's goods, and that wittingly." (2:188) The Qur'an has forbidden the giving of money to judges in the hope of extracting an unjust judgement from them.

The term idla' (proffering) means sending a bucket down into the well to bring out water from its depths. It should be noted that the use of this word here means that bribery is like a bucket sent down into the bosom of the judge to extract injustice and wrong from his wicked heart. The inward must be pure and the heart unblemished, so that it does not incline…