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:

Dear Mr. Burhan,

Question 2.Should we leave the interest incurred on our deposits with the banks?

By leaving the interest with the bank, don’t you think we would be indirectly enriching, consolidating & contributing to the growth of the institutions that involve in Interest transactions? Most of these institutions are owned by non-Muslims and this money could work against the interests of the Muslim community as a whole. Instead, if we collect these amounts and use them for charitable & developmental purposes within the Muslim community without seeking any reward from Allah, it would not only weaken anti Muslim forces, but also help the downtrodden amongst the Muslims. Appreciate your response.

Question 3.Is it permissible to take Interest in a country ruled & governed by non-Muslim individual or ruling class?

Thanking you in anticipation of a response.

Kind regards

(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:

Can one leave the interest money in the bank?

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.

Your question: Should we leave the interest incurred on our deposits with the banks?

Firstly, a believer, who sincerely believes in Allah and the Last Day, must strive and try his best never to get involved in any type of interest or ‘riba’ dealings. But if one finds himself in a situation whereby some interest has accumulated in his name, hiehas one of two choices:

He may leave it in the bank.

He may take it and dispose it.

As you have rightly stated, it does not help the cause of the believers to leave the interest in the bank; and the institutions may use it against the believers. In this types of cases, the scholars are of the opinion that one may take this interest with the intention that he wants to rid himself of this evil thing, and give it away to some charity, etc., without seeking any reward from Allah Subhanah. His only intention should be to get rid of this unwanted and illegal money, and purify himself from this evil thing. The believer who does this because he fears the accounting of Allah on an Inevitable Day, will, if Allah Wills, be rewarded for keeping himself pure from the evil of ‘riba’. And Allah Alone knows best.

Your question: Is it permissible to take Interest in a country ruled & governed by non-Muslim individual or ruling class?

The taking and paying of interest in absolutely prohibited in Islam; whether the country or bank is ruled or owned by a muslim, non-muslim, or ruling class, or any class. Allah and His Messenger (saws) have prohibited the believers from dealing in ‘riba’ in any form.

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2829 Narrated by Ali ibn AbuTalib

Ali heard Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) 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.

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

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan