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Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assalam`o`Elekum,

I am a reader of your question answer which I am receiving by emails since long time. Its a great opportunity to us that there are some persons like you who clarify Islamic rules and make understanding of Holy Quran easy for us.

My question which was cleared by reading one of your email about intrest that "curse of Allah on both who take (usury) `Riba` and those who pay it".Before I thought that it is haram only for those who take `Riba`.

I took the morgage to buy the house and now I am experiencing hardship there is no burkat in my buisnes and facing lot of difficulties. I am offering prayers and residing Quran late night with under standing and try to spend life according to it but still I am not seeing any ease.

I am affread that may be Allah (swt) and beloved prophet peace be upon him are not happy what I did. Also all the time I am residing `Ayate karima` " la Illaha illa unta subhanaa inikuntum minuzaleemen.Please pray for me and give me advise how to get rid of this burdon.

Your Brother

Answer:

Taken Mortgage what to do

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 274-276:

But those who devour ‘riba’ become like the one whom Shaitaan has bewitched and maddened by his touch. They have been condemned to this condition because they say, “Trade is just like ‘riba”, whereas Allah has made trade halaal and ‘riba’ haraam. Henceforth, if one abstains from taking ‘riba’ after receiving this admonition from his Lord, no legal action shall be taken against him regarding the ‘riba’ he had devoured before: his case shall ultimately go to Allah. But if one repeats the same crime even after this, he shall go to Hell, where he shall abide for ever! Allah deprives ‘riba’ of all blessing and develops charity, and Allah does not like an ungrateful, sinful person.

Dear and Beloved brother in Islam, there is absolutely no doubt that any transaction that involves the concept of ‘interest’ is deprived of all blessings from Allah Subhanah. All Praise is due to Allah Subhanah Alone who has guided you aright and given you the wisdom to recognize the evils of ‘usury’, and granted you the courage and the determination to break free from its clutches. If you make a solemn intention to break free from the clutches of dealing in ‘usury’ only for the sake of Allah, it is expected that Allah Subhanah will forgive you your past dealings and bless and reward you appropriately for leaving the haraam for His sake.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale Imraan verse 135-136:

Allah likes such good people very much, who, if ever they commit a base deed or wrong their own soul by the commission of a sin, remember Allah instantly, and ask for forgiveness from Him for their shortcomings. For who, but Allah, can forgive sins? (And Allah loves those) who do not knowingly persist in the wrongs they did. These will be rewarded with forgiveness from Allah, and with Gardens beneath which canals flow, and they will reside therein forever! How excellent is the reward of those who do good deeds!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 54:

When those come to you who believe in Our Signs, say: "Peace be on you! Your Lord had inscribed for Himself (the rule of) Mercy. Verily if any of you did evil in ignorance, and thereafter repented and amended (his conduct), Lo! He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."

Your Question: Please pray for me and give me advise how to get rid of this burdon.
Beloved brother, first and foremost make a solemn intention and pledge with your Lord Most Merciful that you intend to break free from the clutches of dealing in ‘interest’, and constantly implore and beseech your Lord Most Gracious to help you in your noble intention.

If you have enough wealth to clear the debts, or if you can sell the house and clear your mortgage debts without incurring a huge loss, then that would obviously be the best course of action to immediately break free from the clutches of ‘interest’ and ‘usury’. If you do not have enough funds to clear the debt, and selling the house at this time is not an option, then remain constant in imploring your Lord Most Merciful to help you from His Endless Bounties in elevating your condition and make a solemn promise with your Lord Most Gracious that you intend to leave dealing in ‘usury’ as soon as your Lord makes your condition easy for you; it is expected that your Lord will answer your prayers and help you in your noble intention to stay away from what He and His Messenger (saws) have declared haraam.

May Allah Subhanah make your trial easy for you and from His Endless and Unending Bounties bless you with abundance to fulfill your intention to break free of the evil clutches and burdens of dealing in ‘usury’. May Allah Subhanah reward you for your noble intentions in this world and the Hereafter, and give you the courage, the patience, and the wisdom to stay content and satisfied with the halaal that He provides.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and sincere well wisher in Islam,

Burhan