What is the ruling on dealing with Visa cards issued by banks? (And an explanation of how the cards work)
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Your Eminence, we ask regarding some banks that issue cards like Visa cards, and this idea is perhaps clear, so please clarify it, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : No, clarify it.
The questioner : That is, the consumer, instead of dealing with shops using cash, presents this card and takes the required goods, and then this amount is settled through the bank the client deals with, except that the contract condition from the beginning between the client and the bank is that if he delays payment for a certain period, interest will accrue to him?
The Shaykh : Yes, is the question understood now?
That is, he takes a card from the bank, and if he buys things, he presents it to the one from whom he bought these things, and transfers the amount to the bank, and the bank pays on his behalf. But if he pays the bank within a certain period, he owes only what he borrowed, and if he delays, he must pay an addition.
I say: This is forbidden (haram), because the mere commitment of a person to riba (usury or interest) is forbidden, whether the riba occurs or not. This man says: I am certain from myself that I will pay before the due date. We say: Yes, you are certain, but are you sure? The money may be lost from your hands, it may be stolen, or you may die; you are not certain. And Allah says:[Al-Kahf 18:23-24].
Furthermore, the mere commitment that if the period expires you accept that an addition will be made to you, this commitment is a commitment to riba, and the commitment to riba is forbidden. Therefore, we see that this is forbidden and that it is not permissible for a person to deal with it. But if he has a balance with the bank and the seller accepts the transfer to the bank, let him do so, and the matter is easy, because there is nothing to it but carrying a checkbook and writing checks to the sellers. Yes.
The Shaykh : No, clarify it.
The questioner : That is, the consumer, instead of dealing with shops using cash, presents this card and takes the required goods, and then this amount is settled through the bank the client deals with, except that the contract condition from the beginning between the client and the bank is that if he delays payment for a certain period, interest will accrue to him?
The Shaykh : Yes, is the question understood now?
That is, he takes a card from the bank, and if he buys things, he presents it to the one from whom he bought these things, and transfers the amount to the bank, and the bank pays on his behalf. But if he pays the bank within a certain period, he owes only what he borrowed, and if he delays, he must pay an addition.
I say: This is forbidden (haram), because the mere commitment of a person to riba (usury or interest) is forbidden, whether the riba occurs or not. This man says: I am certain from myself that I will pay before the due date. We say: Yes, you are certain, but are you sure? The money may be lost from your hands, it may be stolen, or you may die; you are not certain. And Allah says:
(23) And never say of anything, "Indeed, I will do that tomorrow," (24) Except [when adding], "If Allah wills."
وَلا تَقُولَنَّ لِشَيْءٍ إِنِّي فَاعِلٌ ذَلِكَ غَداً * إِلَّا أَنْ يَشَاءَ اللَّهُFurthermore, the mere commitment that if the period expires you accept that an addition will be made to you, this commitment is a commitment to riba, and the commitment to riba is forbidden. Therefore, we see that this is forbidden and that it is not permissible for a person to deal with it. But if he has a balance with the bank and the seller accepts the transfer to the bank, let him do so, and the matter is easy, because there is nothing to it but carrying a checkbook and writing checks to the sellers. Yes.