The ruling on the money that came to me from the interest-based bank after my father’s death?
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The questioner : If you please, my father passed away in the war, so the government sent me money. I am Egyptian, if Allah wills. The government sent me money, and I withdrew it from the bank in my name. It was a small amount, and they take a portion of my pension, meaning they give me a small part and take the second part, which is also deposited in the bank with this money. So the money, its value now is... really. So I am naturally in need of it. What is its status with you? Is it riba or not?
The Shaykh : Meaning, is there a way to purify it from the bank?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Is there a way?
The questioner : No, currently there is no way except after twenty-one years, about two more years.
The Shaykh : After.
The questioner : After twenty-one years, so I am currently in need of it, if Allah wills...
The Shaykh : Okay, listen, listen.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : The amount you are entitled to, or the salary you are entitled to, do you know how much it is, for example, monthly or annually?
The questioner : The amount was deposited as a small value currently, so they take, for example, the amount is about, for example, one hundred and twenty dinars, which is my pension, so they take only ten, and the rest is added to the bank.
The Shaykh : The important thing is to drop the riba.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Drop the riba from this money. The principal is the lawful, as Allah said:[Al-Baqarah 2:279], and the increase over this money is riba; it is not permissible for you to benefit from it in any way.
The questioner : Okay, and I use it in any place.
The Shaykh : Ah, well done.
The questioner : O Shaykh, may Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : Use it in public utilities.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And by public utilities, we mean that there is no benefit for this interest-based money... in itself, even if it is for the poor. Public utilities, for example, a poor neighborhood in need of a water line to draw water from this haram money.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Or a road, for example, that needs paving, or for example a bridge over a canal, and the like.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : This is what is meant by public utilities.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : And may Allah protect you, if Allah wills.
The Shaykh : Meaning, is there a way to purify it from the bank?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Is there a way?
The questioner : No, currently there is no way except after twenty-one years, about two more years.
The Shaykh : After.
The questioner : After twenty-one years, so I am currently in need of it, if Allah wills...
The Shaykh : Okay, listen, listen.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : The amount you are entitled to, or the salary you are entitled to, do you know how much it is, for example, monthly or annually?
The questioner : The amount was deposited as a small value currently, so they take, for example, the amount is about, for example, one hundred and twenty dinars, which is my pension, so they take only ten, and the rest is added to the bank.
The Shaykh : The important thing is to drop the riba.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Drop the riba from this money. The principal is the lawful, as Allah 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 : Okay, and I use it in any place.
The Shaykh : Ah, well done.
The questioner : O Shaykh, may Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : Use it in public utilities.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And by public utilities, we mean that there is no benefit for this interest-based money... in itself, even if it is for the poor. Public utilities, for example, a poor neighborhood in need of a water line to draw water from this haram money.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Or a road, for example, that needs paving, or for example a bridge over a canal, and the like.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : This is what is meant by public utilities.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : And may Allah protect you, if Allah wills.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.