Vote Buying And Selling Is Haram, Forgers Warn

Director of the Center for Promoting Religious Moderation Dr. Abdullah Al-Sharika says, “The electoral vote does not belong to any person and no one has the right to sell or buy votes as they please. “This is because the state has entrusted voters to choose and nominate candidates whom they consider most suitable and most worthy of parliamentary representation to enact laws, carry out oversight and monitoring roles, and hold executive performance in the state accountable. Selling votes is forbidden and reprehensible. It is a form of bribery.

"The cursed is the one who takes it, gives it, and mediates between them.” He cautioned those who sell votes against the repercussions, such as afflictions, diseases, and other consequences, for engaging in such forbidden actions and compromising their conscience and integrity in exchange for temporary worldly gains. Al-Sharika indicated that one of the modern forms of buying votes is offering gifts to male and female voters who attend electoral campaigns. He emphasized the impermissibility of such actions (haram), stating that anyone who exchanges their vote for money is no different from someone who exchanges it for gifts. In the same electoral matter, Al-Sharika stressed the necessity of verifying the authenticity of the news, warning against believing and sharing it, especially if it is related to a person’s reputation and honor. Highlighting that this is an image of preserving human rights in Islam, he expressed his regret that many people share all the accusations they come across against people without piety or patience and confirmation. Dr. Al-Sharika commented on the trend of some candidates citing Quranic verses in their speeches, stressing that, “I hope that the candidates will be careful in pronouncing the Quran verses correctly, as people have unfortunately noticed many errors.”

In another matter, Dr. Al-Sharika said, “Those who forge passports and certificates are in dire need of sincere and loving advice that will save them from using illicit money and save them from the torment of the grave and entering Hell. Any part of the body that grows from unlawful earnings, then Hell is more deserving of it. As for the attempts to justify their forgery, consuming illicit earnings, and belittling their status, this is deceitful to them and a betrayal of the trustworthiness of reporting and advice.” In response to a question presented by a social media user – “Does the curse include the officials who helped in the forgery and received the price for it?”, Dr. Al-Sharika said, “Any official involved in forging nationalities or any illicit activity is deemed complicit in the crime, sin, and adverse repercussions. Every penny accepted in exchange for such actions constitutes a sinful, prohibited act, which will haunt them in the afterlife unless they repent before their Creator.”

By Abdul Nasser Al-Aslami

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff

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