What is the ruling on purchasing with credit cards, "MasterCard"?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : MasterCard, MasterCard, this is permissible in dealing with gold... purchasing with MasterCard?
The Shaykh : We have been asked about this many times, and it remains, meaning, in doubt regarding its use, because it is feared that behind it lies dealing in what they call interest, which is actually riba.
The questioner : ... the bank's agent, the representative, takes a commission of three percent on every amount, and the shop owner takes five percent from the customer, saying this is the commission due to the bank's agent, taking more than the bank's agent.
The Shaykh : Yes, this is a commission, and they call it by a name other than its true name.
The questioner : They call it a commission, a commission for the bank's agent.
The Shaykh : Did you understand it?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said in an authentic hadith So riba is now called a commission, and the evidence that it is riba is that this commission may double as the money or the loan or something similar doubles. Therefore, dealing with this type of card still contains a major problem until the truth becomes clear: is there actually riba, or is it merely a commission as mentioned above? Please proceed.
The questioner : A Shaykh issued a fatwa to us permitting this. Shaykh Muhammad Ali al-Sabuni first issued a fatwa forbidding it, then someone gave him another argument, saying how can a person carry a lot of money with him, like... carrying a lot of money, so this card lightens the burden for him, so Shaykh Muhammad Ali al-Sabuni permitted it.
The Shaykh : Yes, he carries the burden of his fatwa that contradicts the Shari'ah, yes.
The questioner : ... Oh Shaykh.
The Shaykh : We have been asked about this many times, and it remains, meaning, in doubt regarding its use, because it is feared that behind it lies dealing in what they call interest, which is actually riba.
The questioner : ... the bank's agent, the representative, takes a commission of three percent on every amount, and the shop owner takes five percent from the customer, saying this is the commission due to the bank's agent, taking more than the bank's agent.
The Shaykh : Yes, this is a commission, and they call it by a name other than its true name.
The questioner : They call it a commission, a commission for the bank's agent.
The Shaykh : Did you understand it?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said in an authentic hadith
There will certainly be among my Ummah people who drink intoxicants and call them by other names.
ليكونن في أمتي أقوام يشربون الخمر يسمونها بغير اسمهاThe questioner : A Shaykh issued a fatwa to us permitting this. Shaykh Muhammad Ali al-Sabuni first issued a fatwa forbidding it, then someone gave him another argument, saying how can a person carry a lot of money with him, like... carrying a lot of money, so this card lightens the burden for him, so Shaykh Muhammad Ali al-Sabuni permitted it.
The Shaykh : Yes, he carries the burden of his fatwa that contradicts the Shari'ah, yes.
The questioner : ... Oh Shaykh.