Al-Qaradawi issued a fatwa: that riba (usury or interest) is forbidden for its owner, but as for the poor person to whom it reaches, it is not forbidden, and he permitted building mosques with riba-based funds

The questioner : The Shaykh : Yusuf al-Qaradawi, two years ago, went to Australia and issued a fatwa to the people, a fatwa that means he led them astray. The gist of this fatwa is that he said: that riba (usury or interest) is forbidden for the one who takes it, for the owner of the riba.

The Shaykh : May Allah guide him.

The questioner : As for the poor person to whom it reaches, it is not forbidden for him, and it is permissible to build mosques with it.

The Shaykh: Allah is the Greatest!

The questioner : By Allah, many Muslims there were led astray by it?

The Shaykh : Allahu Akbar! Yusuf al-Qaradawi’s education is from al-Azhar.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : And his education is not methodical based on the Book and the Sunnah, and he issues fatwas to people that contradict the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law). He has a very dangerous philosophy; when something is forbidden in the Shari'ah, he escapes the prohibition by saying: "There is no definitive text forbidding it!" Therefore, he permitted singing, and he permitted that Englishman who had become a Muslim—and he was one of the major British singers—to continue in his profession and eat from his earnings. Al-Qaradawi claimed that there is no definitive text forbidding singing or musical instruments. This is contrary to the scholarly consensus (ijma') of the scholars of Muslims that definitive texts are not required for legal rulings. The evidence is that they, including al-Qaradawi himself, say: the evidence is the Book, the Sunnah, consensus, and analogical reasoning (qiyas). And qiyas is not definitive evidence; because it is independent legal reasoning (ijtihad), and ijtihad is subject to error and correctness, as is in the authentic hadith. But he brought up this tune that there is no definitive evidence, in order to escape and absolve himself from many legal rulings. And the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: , so it is never permissible for a Muslim to benefit from forbidden wealth, on the pretext that he did not eat the riba. And the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . As for building mosques from riba-based funds, the response to him is with his saying (peace be upon him): إن الله طيِّب ولا يقبل إلا طيِّبًا ، وإن الله أمر المؤمنين بما أمر به المرسلين فقال : يا أيها الرسل كلوا من الطيبات واعملوا صالحا ، ثم ذكر الرجل أشعث أغبر يطيل السفر ، يرفع يديه يقول : يا رب ، يا رب ، ومأكله حرام ، ومشربه حرام ، وملبسه حرام ، وغُذِّي بالحرام ؛ فأنى يُستجاب لذلك Indeed, Allah is Pure and accepts nothing but what is pure, and indeed, Allah commanded the believers with what He commanded the messengers, saying: "O messengers, eat from the good things and do righteous deeds." Then He mentioned the man, disheveled and dusty, who lengthens his journey, raising his hands and saying: "O my Lord, O my Lord," while his food is forbidden, his drink is forbidden, his clothing is forbidden, and he is nourished with what is forbidden; so how will he be answered?. These hadiths all refute al-Qaradawi and those like him who issue fatwas based on their opinions, following the method of the "opinionists" (ra'iyun) of old, who are mostly from the Hanafis.