Is it better to take the interest-based profits and spend them on the poor and building mosques, or to leave them?
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The questioner : Our esteemed Shaykh, regarding interest-based profits: a person is in dire need of them. If he leaves them, they benefit from this excess profit, especially if they are our enemies.
So, is it better to take them and spend them on the poor, building mosques, and the like?
The Shaykh : The reality is that this is an important question due to the intense need to know the answer based on the Book and the Sunnah, not on the preference of the intellect. If we base the answer to this question on the Book and the Sunnah, it becomes clear that it is not permissible for him to take this riba (usury or interest), because Allah Blessed and Exalted is He said:[Al-Baqarah 2:278-279].
Here, Allah Mighty and Majestic clarified that if a person repents, he is entitled only to the principal of his capital, neither oppressing nor being oppressed.
It is established in the authentic hadith, in Sahih Muslim, that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) addressed the people on a Friday and said:.
So you see in this hadith that the Messenger abolished the riba (usury or interest) that was contracted in the pre-Islamic age of ignorance before the rulings of Islam were established. What can be said about riba (usury or interest) that occurred after the rulings of Islam were established?
Based on this, we say that it is not permissible for a person to take riba (usury or interest) from banks, whatever these banks may be. Then we say, suppose it is true that these profits are sent to churches and to fighting Muslims; he bears no sin in that. Why? Because these profits are not the profits of his wealth. It is possible that the bank dealt with the money he gave it in a way that resulted in a loss, or in a way that did not result in a profit, or in a way that resulted in a profit less than the amount of riba (usury or interest) set, or in a way that dealt with more than the amount of riba (usury or interest) set.
The claim that these are the profits of his wealth is not correct. These are not the profits of his wealth. This is riba (usury or interest) that the bank gives to the one who gave it this money to benefit from it. If it is not from the fruits of my wealth or from my profit, then I have no share of the sin of it, even if it is spent on building churches or on weapons aimed at the chests of Muslims.
Then we say: If we prohibit this riba (usury or interest), which may be vast sums of money, perhaps millions, and we say to the Muslims: "O Muslims, by your faith and your Islam, it is not permissible for you to take this riba (usury or interest)," the Muslims will be compelled to look for Islamic banks and Islamic financial institutions to be independent of these interest-based banks, because crises, needs, and dire necessities must inevitably manifest in some form.
So if it is said to people: "This riba (usury or interest) that you call profits is not permissible for you. If you take it, you have eaten riba (usury or interest). If you give it in charity to draw near to Allah, it will not be accepted from you. And if you give it in charity to get rid of it, what is the benefit of a person polluting his hand with impurity and then going to wash it? What is the benefit?"
So we say that prohibiting this is undoubtedly a cause for people to look for Islamic banks and to establish Islamic banks to be independent of these interest-based banks.
Then we say that undoubtedly the scholars of the Jews and the scholars of the Christians know that riba (usury or interest) is forbidden for them, for Allah said in the Qur'an:. They know this in their books, and they also know that the Muslims have been prohibited from it. The enemies of the Muslims rejoice when they see that the Muslims have deemed riba (usury or interest) permissible and have taken it. They know that sins are a cause of abandonment, so they see that the Muslims taking this interest-based money is like arrows that the Muslims have aimed at their own chests, because sins are a cause of abandonment.
It is not hidden from us all what happened to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions, and by Allah they were the greatest army on the face of the earth since the creation of Adam, led by the greatest leader among the children of Adam. They were defeated because of a single sin:[Ali 'Imran 3:152], meaning that defeat occurred. If a single sin, which is less than riba (usury or interest), resulted in abandonment...
What can be said about riba (usury or interest), for which there is a warning that has not come for any other sin except shirk (associating partners with Allah)? As Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said. How do we deem riba (usury or interest) permissible? If these disbelievers know that we have deemed riba (usury or interest) permissible?
Undoubtedly, they rejoice with this and say, "Now the Muslims have done what leads to their abandonment." The reality is a witness to this. The Muslims represent a large part of humanity today, and yet their limbs are severed, and they are watching, unable to raise their heads with that.
So this Bosnia and Herzegovina, an independent Islamic republic recognized internationally, is being torn apart. Its sons are being killed, the honor of its women is being violated, and its children are being orphaned, and the Muslims have not moved a thing.
It is not hidden from us the secret document found by the brothers in Bosnia and Herzegovina, issued by the Prime Minister of Britain to his Foreign Minister, in which he says that the Muslims cannot move or be moved in a way that benefits Bosnia and Herzegovina, because they are under our command, or words to that effect.
And he says that we will strongly prevent the establishment of an Islamic republic in Europe, and we will strongly prevent giving the Muslims weapons to defend themselves. This is a challenge to Islamic sentiment. But why? Because, unfortunately, the Muslims have much disobedience that necessitates abandonment. We ask Allah for safety. Therefore, we say:
So, is it better to take them and spend them on the poor, building mosques, and the like?
The Shaykh : The reality is that this is an important question due to the intense need to know the answer based on the Book and the Sunnah, not on the preference of the intellect. If we base the answer to this question on the Book and the Sunnah, it becomes clear that it is not permissible for him to take this riba (usury or interest), because Allah Blessed and Exalted is He said:
(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 Messenger. But if you repent, you may have your principal - [thus] you do no wrong, nor are you wronged.
يا أيها الذين آمنوا اتقوا الله وذروا ما بقي من الربا إن كنتم مؤمنين فإن لم تفعلوا فأذنوا بحرب من الله ورسوله وإن تبتم فلكم رؤوس أموالكم لا تظلمون ولا تظلمونHere, Allah Mighty and Majestic clarified that if a person repents, he is entitled only to the principal of his capital, neither oppressing nor being oppressed.
It is established in the authentic hadith, in Sahih Muslim, that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) addressed the people on a Friday and said:
Know that the riba (usury or interest) of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance is abolished, and the first riba (usury or interest) I abolish is the riba (usury or interest) of al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib, for it is abolished in its entirety.
ألا وإن ربا الجاهلية موضوعٌ وأول ربا أضع من ربانا ، ربا العباس بن عبدالمطلب فإنه موضوع كلهSo you see in this hadith that the Messenger abolished the riba (usury or interest) that was contracted in the pre-Islamic age of ignorance before the rulings of Islam were established. What can be said about riba (usury or interest) that occurred after the rulings of Islam were established?
Based on this, we say that it is not permissible for a person to take riba (usury or interest) from banks, whatever these banks may be. Then we say, suppose it is true that these profits are sent to churches and to fighting Muslims; he bears no sin in that. Why? Because these profits are not the profits of his wealth. It is possible that the bank dealt with the money he gave it in a way that resulted in a loss, or in a way that did not result in a profit, or in a way that resulted in a profit less than the amount of riba (usury or interest) set, or in a way that dealt with more than the amount of riba (usury or interest) set.
The claim that these are the profits of his wealth is not correct. These are not the profits of his wealth. This is riba (usury or interest) that the bank gives to the one who gave it this money to benefit from it. If it is not from the fruits of my wealth or from my profit, then I have no share of the sin of it, even if it is spent on building churches or on weapons aimed at the chests of Muslims.
Then we say: If we prohibit this riba (usury or interest), which may be vast sums of money, perhaps millions, and we say to the Muslims: "O Muslims, by your faith and your Islam, it is not permissible for you to take this riba (usury or interest)," the Muslims will be compelled to look for Islamic banks and Islamic financial institutions to be independent of these interest-based banks, because crises, needs, and dire necessities must inevitably manifest in some form.
So if it is said to people: "This riba (usury or interest) that you call profits is not permissible for you. If you take it, you have eaten riba (usury or interest). If you give it in charity to draw near to Allah, it will not be accepted from you. And if you give it in charity to get rid of it, what is the benefit of a person polluting his hand with impurity and then going to wash it? What is the benefit?"
So we say that prohibiting this is undoubtedly a cause for people to look for Islamic banks and to establish Islamic banks to be independent of these interest-based banks.
Then we say that undoubtedly the scholars of the Jews and the scholars of the Christians know that riba (usury or interest) is forbidden for them, for Allah said in the Qur'an:
And their taking of riba (usury or interest) while they were prohibited from it.
وأخذهم الربا وقد نهوا عنهIt is not hidden from us all what happened to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions, and by Allah they were the greatest army on the face of the earth since the creation of Adam, led by the greatest leader among the children of Adam. They were defeated because of a single sin:
until [the time] when you lost courage and fell to disputing about the order [given by the Prophet] and disobeyed after He had shown you that which you love
حتى إذا فشلتم وتنازعتم في الأمر وعصيتم من بعد ما أراكم ما تحبونWhat can be said about riba (usury or interest), for which there is a warning that has not come for any other sin except shirk (associating partners with Allah)? As Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said. How do we deem riba (usury or interest) permissible? If these disbelievers know that we have deemed riba (usury or interest) permissible?
Undoubtedly, they rejoice with this and say, "Now the Muslims have done what leads to their abandonment." The reality is a witness to this. The Muslims represent a large part of humanity today, and yet their limbs are severed, and they are watching, unable to raise their heads with that.
So this Bosnia and Herzegovina, an independent Islamic republic recognized internationally, is being torn apart. Its sons are being killed, the honor of its women is being violated, and its children are being orphaned, and the Muslims have not moved a thing.
It is not hidden from us the secret document found by the brothers in Bosnia and Herzegovina, issued by the Prime Minister of Britain to his Foreign Minister, in which he says that the Muslims cannot move or be moved in a way that benefits Bosnia and Herzegovina, because they are under our command, or words to that effect.
And he says that we will strongly prevent the establishment of an Islamic republic in Europe, and we will strongly prevent giving the Muslims weapons to defend themselves. This is a challenge to Islamic sentiment. But why? Because, unfortunately, the Muslims have much disobedience that necessitates abandonment. We ask Allah for safety. Therefore, we say: