What is the ruling on eating at the home of one's husband's sister who works in a riba (usury or interest) bank?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : If it is possible, I have another question. I have a sister whose husband works at the Arab Bank. In the bank, I mean. What we know is that these banks are haram (forbidden).
The Shaykh : Yes, by Allah.
The questioner : But for example, we go to visit my sister and we eat from her, I mean. Is that permissible for us?
The Shaykh : If...
The questioner : Eating from the food of this man, I mean, the one who works in the bank.
The Shaykh : If you go and eat and return, it is as if you are eating from lawful money. And as they say in some Syrian areas, "Titi titi, just as you went, you came," it is not permissible. But if you go and advise her, saying to her, "My sister, your earnings now are haram (forbidden), and the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said, 'May Allah curse...'"Sahih Muslim 1598, and you advise her repeatedly and follow up with advice.
The questioner : I mean.
The Shaykh : She says, "Listen, may Allah guide you, listen." I follow up with advice, but she is stubborn and does not respond to the advice, until you despair, God forbid, of her responding to the advice. At that point, you leave her to her own affairs.
The questioner : I visit her. Okay, she wants her husband to quit, and she is psychologically distressed, I mean. She wants, I mean, she hopes that he will quit the bank and work in any job. Good. But he says, "Insha'Allah, when Allah provides us with a job," and so on. The second point is that he wants to quit, but he doesn't know how, I mean. As Allah knows best, in the hearts, I mean, more than that. So I go, I mean, not for my sister's husband, I mean, for my sister, I visit her, for example.
The Shaykh : Okay, I understood. Listen to the answer. Your sister prays.
The questioner : Yes, she completes the fruits and...
The Shaykh : Listen.
The questioner : Alhamdulillah, I mean.
The Shaykh : Your sister.
The questioner : He comes and prays, and praise be to Allah, but his job, I mean.
The Shaykh : May Allah guide you, my sister. Do not waste my time. Just as you are asking, others are asking.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : We lengthen the speech with something that is not necessary. I am asking you a question. Your sister prays, you say yes, and alhamdulillah, that is all. Because this question is followed by a question about her husband: Does he pray? Yes.
The questioner : Yes, please.
The Shaykh : Her husband prays, and he has been praying for a while since they got married.
The questioner : They have children too.
The Shaykh : So now, her position regarding her husband is like your position regarding your sister. What did I say regarding your sister? What happens? You advise her. Also, your sister should advise her husband every so often. If you despair, then she should seek khul' (divorce at the wife's request for compensation), because it means the man is determined to commit what Allah has forbidden.
The questioner : Okay, and she doesn't have small children, I mean?
The Shaykh : What is the problem that we always say about small children? If this husband died, even if he were a prophet of his time, or a prophet after Muhammad, what would happen to these children? They would die? So, alhamdulillah, he is not a prophet, nor is he a righteous man, as long as he eats haram (forbidden). What is your concern if your sister adopts this answer, and after she has despaired of this man and felt completely that he is proceeding in his disobedience to his Lord and is determined on it, that she seeks khul' (divorce at the wife's request for compensation)? This answer from you contradicts your religiosity. Because our Lord says:[At-Talaq 65:2-3] And peace be upon you.
The questioner : Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings. May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : Yes, by Allah.
The questioner : But for example, we go to visit my sister and we eat from her, I mean. Is that permissible for us?
The Shaykh : If...
The questioner : Eating from the food of this man, I mean, the one who works in the bank.
The Shaykh : If you go and eat and return, it is as if you are eating from lawful money. And as they say in some Syrian areas, "Titi titi, just as you went, you came," it is not permissible. But if you go and advise her, saying to her, "My sister, your earnings now are haram (forbidden), and the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said, 'May Allah curse...'"
the accepter of interest and its payer, and one who records it, and the two witnesses
آكل الربا وموكله وكاتبه وشاهديهThe questioner : I mean.
The Shaykh : She says, "Listen, may Allah guide you, listen." I follow up with advice, but she is stubborn and does not respond to the advice, until you despair, God forbid, of her responding to the advice. At that point, you leave her to her own affairs.
The questioner : I visit her. Okay, she wants her husband to quit, and she is psychologically distressed, I mean. She wants, I mean, she hopes that he will quit the bank and work in any job. Good. But he says, "Insha'Allah, when Allah provides us with a job," and so on. The second point is that he wants to quit, but he doesn't know how, I mean. As Allah knows best, in the hearts, I mean, more than that. So I go, I mean, not for my sister's husband, I mean, for my sister, I visit her, for example.
The Shaykh : Okay, I understood. Listen to the answer. Your sister prays.
The questioner : Yes, she completes the fruits and...
The Shaykh : Listen.
The questioner : Alhamdulillah, I mean.
The Shaykh : Your sister.
The questioner : He comes and prays, and praise be to Allah, but his job, I mean.
The Shaykh : May Allah guide you, my sister. Do not waste my time. Just as you are asking, others are asking.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : We lengthen the speech with something that is not necessary. I am asking you a question. Your sister prays, you say yes, and alhamdulillah, that is all. Because this question is followed by a question about her husband: Does he pray? Yes.
The questioner : Yes, please.
The Shaykh : Her husband prays, and he has been praying for a while since they got married.
The questioner : They have children too.
The Shaykh : So now, her position regarding her husband is like your position regarding your sister. What did I say regarding your sister? What happens? You advise her. Also, your sister should advise her husband every so often. If you despair, then she should seek khul' (divorce at the wife's request for compensation), because it means the man is determined to commit what Allah has forbidden.
The questioner : Okay, and she doesn't have small children, I mean?
The Shaykh : What is the problem that we always say about small children? If this husband died, even if he were a prophet of his time, or a prophet after Muhammad, what would happen to these children? They would die? So, alhamdulillah, he is not a prophet, nor is he a righteous man, as long as he eats haram (forbidden). What is your concern if your sister adopts this answer, and after she has despaired of this man and felt completely that he is proceeding in his disobedience to his Lord and is determined on it, that she seeks khul' (divorce at the wife's request for compensation)? This answer from you contradicts your religiosity. Because our Lord says:
And whoever fears Allah - He will make for him a way out (3) And will provide for him from where he does not expect.
وَمَن يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُ مَخْرَجًا وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُThe questioner : Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings. May Allah reward you with good.
Source
سلسلة الهدى والنور، رقم 944 في قناة «تسجيلات الإمام الألباني - محمد أبو ليلى الأثري» — youtube.com (46:06)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.