The Response to Those Who Say It Is Permissible to Invest in Banks Where the Proportion of Riba Is Small
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
Benefits of the Explanation of the Book *Iqtida' al-Sirat al-Mustaqim li-Mukhalafat Ahl al-Jahim* by Ibn Taymiyyah. A subtle issue is coming up with us now, O Shaykh. There are those who say that a small amount of riba (usury or interest) is permissible to invest in, such as one percent, which does no harm. They differ on this percentage; some say one percent does no harm, then they say five percent does no harm, and some say thirty percent does no harm, on the grounds that this is a small amount of riba.
The Shaykh:
[Al-Mu'minun 23:71]. So the issue is not a matter of desires, whims, and fatwas; the issue is a matter of implementing what the Lawgiver has commanded and prohibited. The Lawgiver prohibited riba [Ali 'Imran 3:130], [Ali 'Imran 3:130], [Ali 'Imran 3:130], [Al-Baqarah 2:278].
The questioner:
What remains?
The Shaykh:
What remains of riba is a general term that encompasses both the small and the large, so it is not permissible. It came in the hadith that one dirham of ribaMishkat al-Masabih 2825Sahih (Al-Albani) one dirham. So the small and the large of riba are forbidden, and it is not permissible for us to take the opinions of some mujtahids or those who are mistaken and leave the general text and leave the general prohibition. Yes, and if we were to open this door, the people of banks and the people of riba institutions would rejoice and say, "This is a small amount and it does not harm you."
Benefits of the Explanation of the Book *Iqtida' al-Sirat al-Mustaqim li-Mukhalafat Ahl al-Jahim* by Ibn Taymiyyah. A subtle issue is coming up with us now, O Shaykh. There are those who say that a small amount of riba (usury or interest) is permissible to invest in, such as one percent, which does no harm. They differ on this percentage; some say one percent does no harm, then they say five percent does no harm, and some say thirty percent does no harm, on the grounds that this is a small amount of riba.
The Shaykh:
But if the Truth had followed their inclinations, the heavens and the earth and whoever is in them would have been ruined
وَلَوِ اتَّبَعَ الْحَقُّ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ لَفَسَدَتِ السَّمَاوَاتُ وَالْأَرْضُ وَمَن فِيهِنَّO you who have believed, do not consume usury
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَأْكُلُوا الرِّبَاdo not consume usury
لَا تَأْكُلُوا الرِّبَاO you who have believed, do not consume usury
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَأْكُلُوا الرِّبَاO you who have believed, fear Allah and give up
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَذَرُواThe questioner:
What remains?
The Shaykh:
What remains of riba is a general term that encompasses both the small and the large, so it is not permissible. It came in the hadith that one dirham of riba
more serious than thirty-six acts of fornication
أشد من ستة وثلاثين زنية
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، [509] الرد على القائلين بجواز المساهمة في البنوك التي نسبة الربا فيها قليلة | الشيخ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.