Title: Can we Defraud the Corrupt Rulers Question: In our country here electricity is very expensive whereas the state controlled agency responsible for the production of electricity produce it mainly from water, which is God gifted. The reason for the high rate of electricity is that the agency i.e. WAPDA is very corrupt and overstaffed. That is why the rate of production for electricity has risen from what it used to be a few years back. Plus our political corrupt governments have kept on taking loans from international agencies & spent it wastefully. Now the interest on that amount needs to be paid. So under the pressure of those agencies our governments keep on increasing the rate of electricity. So, sir in these circumstances can we bypass part payment by tampering with the electricity meter? [I don't want to use the word steal electricity by tampering with our electricity meter because I don't think we steal. We are forced to do an unwanted act by the corrupt governments, which we haven't brought to power but have always come because of rigging the elections.] I will be grateful for an early reply please. Answer: It is indeed a very sorry state of affairs in our country, which sometimes, greatly tempts a person to refuse contributing to the corrupt system. Nevertheless, a Muslim, under all circumstances, must live a life and must take his decisions with his mind focused on the Day, when the 'good' and the 'bad', the 'honest' and the 'corrupt' shall be separated. We must not forget that dishonesty, even if it is in response to any corruption, is no less a dishonesty. All dishonesties shall be recorded on the 'bad' items' side of our record list and we shall have to face the consequences of their presence in our records. I would, therefore, suggest that even in the face of all the exploitation that one may be subjected to, he must not do anything, which he knows to be 'wrong'. We must remain assured that none of our 'good' or 'bad' actions are hidden from the All-knowing and the Wise. If we avoid 'bad', seeking God's pleasures, even in the face of exploitation, the Merciful shall not only reward us for our good actions but shall also compensate us, manifolds, for all that we were wrongfully deprived of. In matters like these, the Prophet (pbuh) once guided a person to the golden principle of 'Ask yourself' (i.e. decide such matters in the light of the decision of your conscience). Whatever your conscience guides you to be 'right', do it. Whatever it refrains you from, stay away from it. 14 th May 2000