Renting a safe deposit box in an interest-based bank to store money: does this fall under cooperation in sin?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Regarding renting the box and paying the fee to the bank, does this fall under the noble verse: [Al-Ma'idah 5:2]?
The Shaykh : It falls under the first part of it.
The questioner : The first part.
The Shaykh : Yes, meaning contrary to what some people think. If we imagine that banks have now become nothing but safe deposit boxes, what do you think? Have they become a source of good or a source of evil?
The questioner : But this money that is paid...
The Shaykh : Answer me.
The questioner : It is a source of good.
The Shaykh : Fine, but what is the point? There is no room for correction.
The questioner : The point is that this money that is paid is used in un-Islamic activities.
The Shaykh : Meaning, may Allah will it, do you want to reach the conclusion that it is forbidden for the baker to sell bread?
The questioner : No, Shaykh.
The Shaykh : He makes his living from bread, and by the same token, the fruit seller and all the necessities he needs—he is not allowed to buy them? We must look at the fact that if the assistance is direct assistance in sin, that is what the saying of Allah the Exalted in the complete verse means:[Al-Ma'idah 5:2] Do you understand?
And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression.
وتعاونوا على البر والتقوى ولا تعاونوا على الإثم والعدوانThe Shaykh : It falls under the first part of it.
The questioner : The first part.
The Shaykh : Yes, meaning contrary to what some people think. If we imagine that banks have now become nothing but safe deposit boxes, what do you think? Have they become a source of good or a source of evil?
The questioner : But this money that is paid...
The Shaykh : Answer me.
The questioner : It is a source of good.
The Shaykh : Fine, but what is the point? There is no room for correction.
The questioner : The point is that this money that is paid is used in un-Islamic activities.
The Shaykh : Meaning, may Allah will it, do you want to reach the conclusion that it is forbidden for the baker to sell bread?
The questioner : No, Shaykh.
The Shaykh : He makes his living from bread, and by the same token, the fruit seller and all the necessities he needs—he is not allowed to buy them? We must look at the fact that if the assistance is direct assistance in sin, that is what the saying of Allah the Exalted in the complete verse means:
but do not cooperate in sin and aggression
ولا تعاونوا على الإثم والعدوان
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.