What is the ruling on the wealth of one who works in interest-based banks, relying on the fatwa of Shaykh Tantawi in Egypt? And is it permissible to eat his food in this case?

The questioner : May peace and mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you, honorable Shaykh. I have a brother who works in one of the interest-based banks. I have spoken to him about this matter, but he relies on the fatwa of Shaykh Muhammad Sayyid Tantawi, the Mufti of Egypt at the time, for the legitimacy of his work. When we return to Egypt for the summer vacation, he invites me and my family to eat at his home. He has no income other than his salary from this job. Is it permissible for me to accept the invitation in order to maintain family ties, or not? And is it permissible to give him a sum of money as a gift, with the intention that if he invites me to eat at his place, I would thereby be eating from my own money, in order to maintain family ties? Please issue a ruling for us, may Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh : Yes, I say: If this man is sincere in that he followed the fatwa of this scholar, and his intention is not to seek out dispensations, then he is not sinful at all. For Allah says: And he has followed a scholar, so there is nothing on him. It is like if a person ate donkey meat and asked a scholar, and the scholar told him that eating donkey meat does not break the ablution, so he prayed while having eaten donkey meat. Would his prayer be invalid? No. This one who eats interest, citing the statement of a scholar who follows a fatwa, whose intention is not following desires or seeking dispensations, has nothing on him. This is regarding your brother's work. As for what we see, the fatwa of the Mufti of Egypt in this matter is an error and a mistake, and there is no difference between investment interest and exploitative interest. The evidence for this is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and ordered it to be returned. This is clear that there is no exploitation in it and no injustice, and yet the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade it. So the fatwa is wrong. And on this basis, we see that as long as your brother assists in eating interest, writes it, and testifies to it, we see that he is sinful and that it is obligatory for him to abandon it. But if he insists and remains, and you go to him and eat from what he has, there is no harm and no sin on you, even if you believe that this is forbidden. For it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he ate from the food of the Jews, and the Jews, as you know, are eaters of usury and takers of interest. The Messenger did not ask, saying: "Have you dealt in interest or not?" This indicates that it is permissible for a person to eat from one whose earnings are forbidden, and there is no sin on him. But do not despair of advising your brother more, perhaps Allah will guide him. And give him good news that if he repents, then what came before is forgiven; everything he earned before that is lawful for him, by the saying of the Exalted: Especially if he is relying on a fatwa that he believes to be correct. This session ends here because the call to prayer has arrived. Until the next meeting, if Allah wills. We ask Allah to grant me and you beneficial knowledge and righteous deeds.