A man took out a loan from an interest-based bank to build a residence and paid off half of the loan, then he wanted to sell it. Is it permissible to buy this residence, and is it permissible to pray in it?
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The questioner : A man took out a loan from an interest-based bank to build a residence and paid off half of the loan, then he wanted to sell it. Is it permissible to buy this residence, and is it permissible to pray in it?
The Shaykh : First: We must know that `riba` is a grave matter, to the extent that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) said in His Book:[Al-Baqarah 2:278-279].
And those who have been lax regarding the matter of `riba` for the sake of what they claim is building the economy and what they claim is investment are in great danger. And they have erred in that. And `riba` is forbidden even if there is no injustice in it. For this reason, we say that `riba` in both its forms, investment and exploitation, is forbidden. There is no difference between this and that. And the evidence for this is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not permit those who were buying good dates, one `sa'` for two `sa'`s, even though there is no injustice in it. So good dates were brought to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and he said (peace and blessings be upon him):. Even though there is no injustice in this form, is there? There is no injustice because the value of the good `sa'` equals the value of two `sa'`s of the inferior ones, so there is absolutely no injustice. And yet the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): . And he ordered it to be returned. So `riba` is a grave matter, whether a person deals with it openly or deals with it by way of a ruse, because some people resort to ruses regarding `riba` through twisted methods; if a person sees them, he thinks they are a valid contract, but in reality, they are a ruse. And resorting to ruses regarding `riba` makes `riba` more ugly than if they had not resorted to ruses. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade his Ummah from ruses and said: .
Based on this, we say to this one who borrowed from the bank to build him a house, who borrowed from it to build him a house, and it is known that banks do not lend to anyone except with `riba`. We say: He has erred, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)Sunan Ibn Majah 2277Hasan (Darussalam).
So how many people did he curse? The brother. How many people did the Prophet curse regarding `riba`?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Four. Count them.
The student: The one who eats `riba`.
The Shaykh : The one who eats `riba`.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : And the one who makes him eat it.
The student: And his two witnesses.
The Shaykh : Yes, and his two witnesses.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : And his scribe. So that is five. Good. Rest.
And this one who took from the bank, is he the one who eats it or the one who makes him eat it?
The student: The one who makes him eat it.
The Shaykh : The one who makes him eat it?
The student: The one who makes him eat it.
The Shaykh : Yes. The one who makes him eat it, and the one who eats it is the bank. So he and the bank are included in the curse of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). And the curse is expulsion and distance from the mercy of Allah.
And based on this, the one who took from the bank with `riba` must repent to Allah for what he did. And if he repents to Allah, his conscience is cleared, because he is the wronged one and not the wrongdoer. So if his conscience is cleared by repentance, this property that he built with `riba` becomes a property with no doubt in it. So it is permissible to buy it, and it is permissible to pray in it.
The questioner : He says, a loan, a man took out a loan to build a residence.
The Shaykh : This is it. Speak at the end of the speech.
The Shaykh : First: We must know that `riba` is a grave matter, to the extent that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) said in His Book:
(278) O you who have believed, fear Allah and give up what remains [due to you] of interest, if you should be believers. (279) And if you do not, then be informed of a war [against you] from Allah and His
يا أيها الذين آمنوا اتقوا الله وذروا ما بقي من الربا إن كنتم مؤمنين * فإن لم تفعلوا فأذنوا بحرب من الله ورسولهAnd those who have been lax regarding the matter of `riba` for the sake of what they claim is building the economy and what they claim is investment are in great danger. And they have erred in that. And `riba` is forbidden even if there is no injustice in it. For this reason, we say that `riba` in both its forms, investment and exploitation, is forbidden. There is no difference between this and that. And the evidence for this is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not permit those who were buying good dates, one `sa'` for two `sa'`s, even though there is no injustice in it. So good dates were brought to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and he said (peace and blessings be upon him):
Do you eat the dates of Khaybar like this? They said: No. But we take one `sa'` of this for two `sa'`s, and two `sa'`s for three. So he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: This is pure `riba`, this is pure `riba`.
أكل تمر خيبر هكذا؟ قالوا : لا. لكننا نأخذ صاعا من هذا بالصاعين والصاعين بالثلاثة فقال عليه الصلاة والسلام : هذا عين الربا هذا عين الرباThis is pure `riba`.
هذا عين الرباDo not do what the Jews did, so that you make lawful the prohibitions of Allah by the slightest of ruses
لا ترتكبوا ما ارتكبت اليهود فتستحلوا محارم الله بأدنى الحيلBased on this, we say to this one who borrowed from the bank to build him a house, who borrowed from it to build him a house, and it is known that banks do not lend to anyone except with `riba`. We say: He has erred, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
the one who consumes usury, the one who pays it, those who witness it and the one who writes it down
لعن آكل الربا وموكله وشاهديه وكاتبه وقال : هم سواءSo how many people did he curse? The brother. How many people did the Prophet curse regarding `riba`?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Four. Count them.
The student: The one who eats `riba`.
The Shaykh : The one who eats `riba`.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : And the one who makes him eat it.
The student: And his two witnesses.
The Shaykh : Yes, and his two witnesses.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : And his scribe. So that is five. Good. Rest.
And this one who took from the bank, is he the one who eats it or the one who makes him eat it?
The student: The one who makes him eat it.
The Shaykh : The one who makes him eat it?
The student: The one who makes him eat it.
The Shaykh : Yes. The one who makes him eat it, and the one who eats it is the bank. So he and the bank are included in the curse of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). And the curse is expulsion and distance from the mercy of Allah.
And based on this, the one who took from the bank with `riba` must repent to Allah for what he did. And if he repents to Allah, his conscience is cleared, because he is the wronged one and not the wrongdoer. So if his conscience is cleared by repentance, this property that he built with `riba` becomes a property with no doubt in it. So it is permissible to buy it, and it is permissible to pray in it.
The questioner : He says, a loan, a man took out a loan to build a residence.
The Shaykh : This is it. Speak at the end of the speech.