Paying off what a recent convert owes the bank from before his conversion to Islam
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Fatwa number ( 9080 )
Q: The sender states that he recently embraced Islam and had previously purchased a house before entering Islam in a manner common in the West, namely by paying a certain amount and borrowing the rest, and that he is required to pay interest on this loan, knowing that a Muslim cannot accept or pay interest; therefore, he inquires about this matter.
A: If the situation is as described, the person mentioned should explain his situation to the entity from which he borrowed on the basis of riba, and request that they accept the principal only, without interest; because Islam forbids riba transactions, and he has converted to Islam and is in a difficult position regarding paying riba. If the lending entity permits this, praise be to Allah;
otherwise, it is obligatory for him to pay the interest that was stipulated in the contract before his conversion to Islam.
Q: The sender states that he recently embraced Islam and had previously purchased a house before entering Islam in a manner common in the West, namely by paying a certain amount and borrowing the rest, and that he is required to pay interest on this loan, knowing that a Muslim cannot accept or pay interest; therefore, he inquires about this matter.
A: If the situation is as described, the person mentioned should explain his situation to the entity from which he borrowed on the basis of riba, and request that they accept the principal only, without interest; because Islam forbids riba transactions, and he has converted to Islam and is in a difficult position regarding paying riba. If the lending entity permits this, praise be to Allah;
otherwise, it is obligatory for him to pay the interest that was stipulated in the contract before his conversion to Islam.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.