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:

Is it fixed deposit interest is haram for muslim . I have heard that using a interset money is next to eating pig meat and the person who is using a interest money of FD his home made food is harram for all muslim. 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Food eat interest

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 none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: Is it fixed deposit interest is haram for muslim

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.

Allah says further in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 278:

O Believers!, fear Allah and give up that ‘riba’ which is still due to you, if you are true believers. But if you do not do so, then you are warned of the declaration of war against you by Allah and His Messenger!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisa verse 161:

That they took ‘riba’, although they were forbidden. And that they devoured men’s substance wrongfully. We have prepared for those among them who reject faith a grievous punishment (of Hell Fire)!

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale-Imraan verses 130-132:

130 O ye who believe! Devour not ‘riba’ doubled and multiplied; but fear Allah; that ye may (really) prosper.

131 Fear the Fire which is prepared for those who reject faith.

132 And obey Allah and the Messenger; that ye may obtain mercy.

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2829 Narrated by Ali ibn AbuTalib

Ali said he heard Allah's Messenger (saws) invoke the curse of Allah on those who took usury, those who paid it, those who recorded it, and those who refused to give sadaqah.

Dear and beloved brother in Islam, Allah and His Messenger (saws) have declared every aspect and every manifestation of the abomination of ‘riba’ (usury, interest, etc.) as absolutely forbidden for the believers who sincerely fear Allah and the Last Day. If the returns of the ‘fixed deposit’ gain interest, then indeed the consumption of this unlawfully earned ‘interest’ income would be unlawful for the believers.

Your Statement: I have heard that using a interset money is next to eating pig meat

Although the consumption of the flesh of swine and ‘riba’ are both categorically declared as absolutely ‘haraam’ and unlawful for the believers in the Glorious Quran, in our humble opinion, the sin of consuming ‘riba’ is much much graver than the sin of consuming the flesh of swine…..for those who consume ‘riba’ are specifically warned of a ‘declaration of war’ against them by Allah and His Messenger (saws)!

Allah says further in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 278:

O Believers!, fear Allah and give up that ‘riba’ which is still due to you, if you are true believers. But if you do not do so, then you are warned of the declaration of war against you by Allah and His Messenger!

Your Question: ….the person who is using a interest money of FD his home made food is harram for all muslim. 

Unless one has an absolutely valid reason or one is absolutely convinced that the food presented to him in the house of his believing brother is ‘haraam’ or unlawful….it would not behove and befit the character of a muslim to ask his muslim brother whether the food which is presented to him in his house in lawful or not!

Allah Subhanah has declared the food of the believers lawful unto each other. If (Allah forbid) there is a muslim who earns part of his livelihood through unlawful means like ‘riba’, etc and a part of it through lawful means, and he were to invite a muslim to eat at his house….the one who is invited should assume the food that is presented to him by his believing brother in a believing household is from his lawfully earned earnings.

In the absolutely extreme case, where one is absolutely convinced that the muslim brother who has invited him has earned all his wealth from unlawful means, and does not possess any lawful wealth whatsoever….one should fear Allah, and strive to abstain from consuming such food which is completely derived from unlawfully earned wealth.

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 well wisher in Islam,

Burhan