I deposit my money in the bank and do not take the interest; rather, I donate it to charitable causes. Is that permissible? And a word about riba and its danger.

The Shaykh : The question says: I deposit money in the bank with interest, but I do not benefit from this interest; rather, I donate it to charitable causes. Is that permissible, and what...?
I say that what we always and forever advise in the lands of Islam and the lands of disbelief is that it is not permissible for a Muslim to deposit his money in the bank. This is a matter I know may be difficult for some Muslims, but the truth is more deserving of being spoken and more deserving of being followed, because a Muslim is not merely a claim that does not manifest its effect in the person of the Muslim. The Muslim is tested, meaning he is charged with rulings so that Allah Mighty and Majestic tests His servants with them . This test must be placed by every Muslim before his eyes. From this test, a Muslim may have some money and fear its loss, theft, or other such circumstances, so he finds an excuse for himself to deposit it in the bank to preserve it. This is permissible, indeed obligatory, from the economic standpoint. However, the economy in Islam must be based on the rules and foundations of Islam. If there had been a ruling Islam, or a Muslim ruling by the Book in the lands of Islam, there would have been no banks. But because Muslims were lenient in adhering to their religion, banks came to them because they found... they found people among the Muslims... depositing their money in banks. And so the banks were filled with the money of the Muslims themselves, whether they did not know, or they knew and ignored a great principle of Islam that the Qur'an specified, saying . And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) detailed it and clarified that this verse, as is his custom in many verses, for example, said . It is clear because he consumes the wealth of people unjustly. So what is the one who is fed? That is because without him, the one who comes would not... . If not for this point, it would not have been... Therefore, the matter is tied to both of them together. Therefore, he (peace be upon him) said . And he also said . Here are four categories: the eater initially, then the three types of the one who is fed, the writer, and the witnesses, because they cooperated with... in what Allah Mighty and Majestic has forbidden with the strongest prohibition, and He considered it among the major sins. He (peace be upon him) said . And in another hadith it came . So this riba is among the greatest of major sins. Therefore, he cursed its eater and the one who assists him in eating it, starting from the one who feeds, the writer, and the witnesses.
So when a Muslim is aware of such a verse and such a hadith that indicates that eating riba is among the major sins, because the curse is... its companion is among the major sins. Likewise, the one who feeds, when a Muslim is aware of such texts, knowledge is not sufficient; rather, it must be accompanied by faith.
So when the believing Muslim is aware of such a hadith and has sincere faith in it, I cannot imagine a Muslim depositing his money in the bank at all, even if he does not benefit from the interest on this money as mentioned in the question, because he assisted the bank that is established on the disobedience of Allah and His Messenger. So from this point, it is sufficient to be a deterrent for him from depositing money in the bank. We find that many Muslims and some Islamic writers do not dwell on this point, but rather go directly to addressing the interest. Their views differ on it: some say it is not permissible to take it because it is riba, and some say he takes it but does not benefit from an interest that is specific to him, but rather he spends it on public interests.
As for the original issue, which is depositing money in the bank, that it is a major sin, few people circle around this. And the group I referred to, which says that this interest is better for the depositor to take from the bank than to leave it for the bank to benefit from, because leaving it for them is assistance to them. I say, glory be to Allah, the assistance began from the moment this depositor deposits his money in the bank. So why do they not look at this cause from the beginning? It should be said to the Muslim and he should be advised: do not deposit your money in the bank, because this deposit... is for this bank that is established on the disobedience of Allah. Instead, they say this saying, and then the benefit from the interest comes, and they make excuses. I mentioned that this interest from the bank is assistance to them, but the assistance began from the moment he deposited this money in the bank. Therefore, I say, after you have heard from the texts of the Book and the Sunnah, it is not permissible to deposit money in the bank at all. And what is said on such an occasion: "My brother, where do we put the money?" Meaning, we left it in the house... and if we carry it with us, perhaps... upon it and its owner, and other such excuses. I say it is a great pity that Muslims today live an absolute material life, as if there is no difference between them and these disbelievers who live in this illusion and...
The Muslim differs from the disbeliever in the aspects of faith, even if some disbelievers have aspects of faith, but in reality, it is like a mirage in a valley that the thirsty one thinks is water. As for the Muslim, it is not so. The Muslim, for example, has a text in the Noble Qur'an . The disbeliever, and the believer, let alone the atheist among them, does not have such a text at all. And even if he does, he does not believe in it, as indicated by their absolute material life. As for the Muslim, it is supposed that he should always and forever be mindful of such a text, at least by its meaning. But he is not from those... every Muslim is charged to memorize the verses of the Noble Qur'an.
Therefore, the first thing... with this excuse is that if we do not put the money in the bank... so and so, where is your faith in the previous verse ? The point is that these excuses that the Muslim youth are afflicted with do not agree with their faith in any way. He must remember his faith and live with it, and not separate his faith from his life, as is the case of the disbelievers who live two contradictory lives.
On this occasion... I will give you an example of how these disbelievers live. I once met a Christian missionary there in Damascus, and a conversation took place about his belief and the belief of Muslims. I began to remind him of the contradictions in the Holy Bible, which they claim to have. I said that it came in the Torah that when Allah Mighty and Majestic took Adam out of Paradise, and also took out the snake that Satan had disguised himself as, and he whispered to Adam, and it was the cause of Adam's exit from Paradise.
They claim that Allah said in the Torah... the snake, as a punishment for her... I said to this missionary: Do you believe that the snake lives on eating dirt from the scientific standpoint? He said no. I said: How do you reconcile the scientific aspect that denies this text with your faith in this text? He said: Each thing is for itself. From the faith aspect, we believe that the snake lives on dirt, and from the scientific aspect, we believe that dirt is not food for it. So he does not feel any discomfort, any embarrassment, or any contradiction between believing in the text of the Torah and his belief in science... Is this how the Muslim lives? The Muslim believes that riba is among the greatest of major sins, so how does he deposit his money in the bank? Is it permissible to say: I do not eat riba because it is fed? It is necessary that we do not separate between the eater and the one who feeds. This is what I want to remind this questioner and those like him of. It is not permissible to deposit money in the bank at all. And if one was previously deceived by some permissive fatwas for depositing money in the bank, and then he wants to repent, let him reflect on the saying of Allah the Exalted . We do not return to saying what? ... The owner of the bank went to benefit from this money... You are not responsible for him. You save yourself .

The questioner : ... .