Short answer
Only within limits. A gift that comes to you because of your job, especially from someone who wants something from your employer, is treated like a bribe in Islam. The Prophet ﷺ rebuked a zakat collector who kept such gifts. Small tokens that your employer openly allows and that do not influence your decisions are permitted by many muftis.
Gifts given to an official or employee because of his position are not permitted to keep; they belong to the employer or are returned. A gift from someone who used to give before you held the post, in the same amount, with no business pending, is allowed. Minor customary tokens permitted by the employer's policy are treated leniently.
The four schools agree on this.
Explanation
The Prophet ﷺ sent a man named Ibn al-Lutbiyya to collect zakat. He came back and said, "This is for you, and this was given to me as a gift." The Prophet ﷺ stood up and said, "Why did he not sit in his father's or mother's house and see whether gifts would come to him?" In another hadith he said that whatever an appointed worker takes beyond his pay is ghulul, a form of theft from the public.
The test is simple: would this person give you this gift if you did not hold this job? If not, it is because of the job.
- Not allowed: gifts, cash, trips or vouchers from suppliers, contractors or clients who want a contract, a price, an approval or a favour; anything your company's policy forbids; anything given privately so your manager does not know.
- Usually allowed: small branded items, a box of sweets for the whole team, a meal at a business meeting, when your employer openly permits it and it does not sway you.
- Hand it in: if you are given something you may not keep, return it politely or give it to your employer.
Teachers, doctors and civil servants: an end-of-year card or small token from a student's family, given openly and allowed by the school, is treated lightly by many scholars. A gift while grades, treatment or a decision are still pending should be declined.
Judges and public officials are held to the strictest standard. For bribes generally, see Is bribery haram?
The evidence
Quran, Surah Al-Baqara 2:188
وَلَا تَأْكُلُوٓا۟ أَمْوَٰلَكُم بَيْنَكُم بِٱلْبَٰطِلِ وَتُدْلُوا۟ بِهَآ إِلَى ٱلْحُكَّامِ لِتَأْكُلُوا۟ فَرِيقًۭا مِّنْ أَمْوَٰلِ ٱلنَّاسِ بِٱلْإِثْمِ وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ ﴿١٨٨﴾
And do not consume one another's wealth unjustly or send it [in bribery] to the rulers in order that [they might aid] you [to] consume a portion of the wealth of the people in sin, while you know [it is unlawful].
Using gifts to win favour from those in authority is condemned.
Quran, Surah Al-Anfaal 8:27
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَخُونُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱلرَّسُولَ وَتَخُونُوٓا۟ أَمَٰنَٰتِكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٢٧﴾
O you who have believed, do not betray Allah and the Messenger or betray your trusts while you know [the consequence].
An employee's position is a trust from the employer.
Sahih al-Bukhari 2597
Sahih... فهلا جلس في بيت أبيه أو بيت أمه فينظر يهدى له أم لا ...
"Why did he not sit in his father's house or his mother's house and see whether he would be given gifts or not?"
Gifts that come because of a post are not the employee's to keep.
Sunan Abi Dawud 2943
Grading to be checked... من استعملناه على عمل فرزقناه رزقا فما أخذ بعد ذلك فهو غلول ...
"Whoever we appoint to a job and provide with pay, whatever he takes beyond that is ghulul."
Taking extra because of one's post is a form of theft.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Hidaya, Kitab Adab al-Qadi. When a judge may accept gifts: only from relatives or those who gave before, with no case pending.
- Radd al-Muhtar (Ibn Abidin), Kitab al-Qada', on gifts to officials. Extends the rule to others in positions of authority.
Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.