The Ruling on Depositing Money in Banks and Their Interest

The questioner:
May Allah reward you. A man who fears for the children of Islam, a man who fears that no one will stand up except him.

The Shaykh:
There is nothing wrong with it. Depositing in the bank for the sake of preservation and fear of theft or loss, and not taking interest on it, is permissible out of necessity. This is permissible in Al-Rajhi Bank and others. Yes.

The questioner:
The person took the interest and distributed it to those breaking their fast.

The Shaykh:
Yes, my brother, it is forbidden to distribute it to the poor. That means he is stealing. Is it permissible to steal and give charity? That means telling him to steal, to enter people's houses and steal so that he can give charity with that thing. It is not permissible. Yes.

The questioner:
Regarding the larger of these amounts.

The Shaykh:
You did not give them the money so that they would benefit from it; your intention was for its preservation.

The questioner:
Peace.

The Shaykh:
As for their using it, it is not permissible for them to use the deposits. The deposits are to be preserved. This is their responsibility. They are the ones who deal with the deposits. It is well known that a deposit is to be preserved and not dealt with.