If a civil servant is given money without asking for it, can he take it?

It is not permissible for an employee to take what is given
to him because of his job, because that is a kind of bribe, which is haraam,
even if that is not his intention. The one who gives this money usually
gives it only so that things will be made easier for him or so that he will
be singled out for good treatment in the future. 

But if something is given to an employee because of blood
ties or friendship, and not because of his job, then there is nothing wrong
with that, and he should accept it, following the example of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), who used to accept gifts
and respond in kind, as was narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2585. What is meant by
“respond in kind” is that he used to give the giver gifts in return for his
gift. 

The difference between gifts that are forbidden and gifts
that are permissible is that gifts that are given because of a person’s job
or position are haraam. So he should think about it: if he was not in this
job, would he be given this gift or not? 

This is what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) stated when he said: “Why doesn’t he sit in the house of his
father and mother and see whether he is given a gift or not?” Al-Bukhaari
(7174) and Muslim (1832) narrated that Abu Humayd al-Saa’idi (may Allaah be
pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) appointed a man from Banu Asad in charge of the zakaah and when he
came he said, “This is for you and this was given to me.” The Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stood on the minbar
and praised Allaah, then he said: “What is the matter with a worker whom we
send out, then he comes and says, ‘This is for you and this is for me?’ Why
doesn’t he sit in the house of his father and mother and see whether he is
given a gift or not? By the One in Whose hand is my soul, he does not take
anything but he will bring it on the Day of Resurrection, carrying it on his
shoulders, even if it is a camel groaning, a cow mooing or a sheep
bleating.” Then he raised his hands until we could see the whiteness of his
armpits and said: “Have I not conveyed (the message)?” three times. 

This hadeeth indicates
that gifts that are given to workers because of their work are haraam, and
that the worker will come on the Day of Resurrection carrying whatever he
took of such gifts, even if it was a camel or a cow or a sheep – Allaah
forbid. 

It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (23/548):  

What is the Islamic ruling on one who is given money when he
is at work, without asking for it, or he tries to take money by means of
tricks. For example, the mayor or Shaykh of a village to whom the people
come so that he will give them certificates, because they are inhabitants of
his village, and they give him money for that – is it permissible for him to
take that? Is that money regarded as halaal? Can we take as evidence for it
being halaal the hadeeth of Saalim ibn ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar, from his
father ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar, that ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him),
said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) used to give us gifts and I would say: “Give it to one who is more in
need of it than me.” He said: “Take it. If any of this wealth comes to you
without your hoping for it or asking for it, then take it and keep it, and
if you wish then give it in charity, and if nothing comes to you, then do
not hope for it.” Saalim said: ‘Abd-Allaah did not ask anyone for anything,
and he did not refuse anything that was given to him. Agreed upon. 

Answer: If the situation is as described, then giving money
to this mayor is haraam, because it is a bribe. The hadeeth of Ibn ‘Umar
(may Allaah be pleased with him) has nothing to do with this matter, because
it has to do with one who is given something from the bayt al-maal of the
Muslims by the one who is in charge of the Muslims, without him asking for
it or hoping for it. End quote. 

To conclude, your friend has to refuse to take this money no
matter how hard the people insist on giving it. He should inform them that
this is not permissible for him. This will soothe their feelings and will
spread awareness of this shar’i matter of which many people are unaware. 

And Allaah knows best.