Is it permissible to deposit in interest-based banks and not take the interest?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : A second question regarding banks... interest... it is all interest-based... well... ten thousand... I end up taking from them...?
The Shaykh : No, this question is also incorrect. It is not permissible for you or for anyone else to deposit lawful money in a forbidden bank. It is not permissible, and consequently, it is not permissible to ask, "Is it permissible for me to deposit my money and not take the interest?" The moment a Muslim deposits his money in a bank, he has participated in riba. Participation in riba is not limited to eating it, as many people think, due to their negligence regarding their religion and the Shari'ah of their Lord. For the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say:Sahih Muslim 1598. The writer in the bank is cursed. Yes, he is not eating riba, he is not feeding riba, he is helping with the eating and the feeding.
The questioner : Of course, the same...
The Shaykh : The same ruling. And all of this is derived from His saying (Glorified and Exalted is He):[Al-Ma'idah 5:2]. And truly, I am amazed at the negligence of the Muslims regarding this. If the customers of any bank, no matter how strong it is, agreed on a moonless night, as it is said, to withdraw their capital, what would happen to the bank?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : It would go bankrupt.
The Shaykh : It would go bankrupt. So, who is it that is supporting the bank?
The questioner : The customers.
The Shaykh : That is it. And therefore, it is not permissible for you, nor for your brothers, nor for your relatives, nor for any Muslim to deposit his money in banks. This is one of the misfortunes of the Muslims that has necessitated that they be surrounded on all sides by the disbelievers.
The questioner : Excuse me, Shaykh, even here there is an Islamic bank that takes interest-based profits, even the Islamic bank.
The Shaykh : All of it, daughter of the lawful, all of it. These are just names to catch customers.
The questioner : Well...
The Shaykh : Yes, what happens?
The questioner : Is it... I tried to...
The Shaykh : I did not understand what you said.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh: All right.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : I mean, suppose your capital in the bank is one thousand dinars.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Suppose it might be more, it might be less, but the point is the example. Well, how are you going to extricate yourself from the riba in your question, so that I can know the answer?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : No, you would not have resolved the problem, but I will tell you. First, Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Baqarah 2:279]. So, if you withdraw this capital, which in the hypothetical example is one thousand, and they give you one hundred on top of the thousand, and you resolve not to return your money to the bank again, then our Lord (Mighty and Majestic) accepts repentance from His servants and forgives much. But this one hundred, which is the riba against the thousand in the example, it is not permissible for you to benefit from it, nor to benefit anyone else with it. But it is also better not to leave this money in the bank to strengthen it, but rather a middle state between strengthening the bank and you benefiting from it, is that this money is spent on public utilities.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : I don't know, or are you being held accountable? Do you know what is meant by public utilities?
The questioner : Ah, of course I know.
The Shaykh : Good. In this case, withdrawing this riba is better than leaving it in the bank.
The questioner : May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : May Allah keep you safe.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : You are welcome.
The questioner: Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
The Shaykh : No, this question is also incorrect. It is not permissible for you or for anyone else to deposit lawful money in a forbidden bank. It is not permissible, and consequently, it is not permissible to ask, "Is it permissible for me to deposit my money and not take the interest?" The moment a Muslim deposits his money in a bank, he has participated in riba. Participation in riba is not limited to eating it, as many people think, due to their negligence regarding their religion and the Shari'ah of their Lord. For the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) cursed the accepter of interest and its payer, and one who records it, and the two witnesses
لَعَنَ اللهُ آكلَ الربا ، وموكله ، وكاتبه ، وشاهديهThe questioner : Of course, the same...
The Shaykh : The same ruling. And all of this is derived from His saying (Glorified and Exalted is He):
And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression.
وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَى وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِThe questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : It would go bankrupt.
The Shaykh : It would go bankrupt. So, who is it that is supporting the bank?
The questioner : The customers.
The Shaykh : That is it. And therefore, it is not permissible for you, nor for your brothers, nor for your relatives, nor for any Muslim to deposit his money in banks. This is one of the misfortunes of the Muslims that has necessitated that they be surrounded on all sides by the disbelievers.
The questioner : Excuse me, Shaykh, even here there is an Islamic bank that takes interest-based profits, even the Islamic bank.
The Shaykh : All of it, daughter of the lawful, all of it. These are just names to catch customers.
The questioner : Well...
The Shaykh : Yes, what happens?
The questioner : Is it... I tried to...
The Shaykh : I did not understand what you said.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh: All right.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : I mean, suppose your capital in the bank is one thousand dinars.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Suppose it might be more, it might be less, but the point is the example. Well, how are you going to extricate yourself from the riba in your question, so that I can know the answer?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : No, you would not have resolved the problem, but I will tell you. First, Allah the Exalted said:
But if you repent, you may have your principal - [thus] you do no wrong, nor are you wronged.
وَإِنْ تُبْتُمْ فَلَكُمْ رُءُوسُ أَمْوَالِكُمْ لَا تَظْلِمُونَ وَلَا تُظْلَمُونَThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : I don't know, or are you being held accountable? Do you know what is meant by public utilities?
The questioner : Ah, of course I know.
The Shaykh : Good. In this case, withdrawing this riba is better than leaving it in the bank.
The questioner : May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : May Allah keep you safe.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : You are welcome.
The questioner: Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.