Monthly Archives: November 2015

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Q: What is the legislative ruling on the following?

• He who deposits his money in a bank and withdraws it after a year along with the interest accumulated.
• Seeking an interest based loan from a bank.
• Depositing ones money in such a bank without receiving interest.
• An employee of the bank whether he be the manager or holds some other position.
• Owning property and leasing it to the bank.

A: It is not permissible to deposit one’s money into interest based banks nor (to participate in) interest based loans due to all of this clearly being usury. In addition, it is not permissible to deposit your money in other than a bank if it has with it usury. That is also the case with loans given to anyone with an interest rate as this is prohibited with all the people of knowledge. As Allah says:

و أحلَّ الله البيع وحرم الربا

“…Allah has permitted trade and forbidden usury…” [Al-Baqarah: 275]

And He says:

يمحق الله الربا و يُربي الصدقات

“Allah will destroy usury and grant an increase for charity…” [Al-Baqarah: 276]

يا أيُّها الذين آمنوا اتَّقوا الله و ذروا ما بقي من الربا إنْ كنتم مؤمنين * فإن لمْ تفعلوا فأذنوا بحربٍ من الله و رسوله و إن تبتم فلكم رءُوس أموالكم لا تظلمون و لا تُظْلَمون

“O you who believe! Fear Allah and leave off whatever remains from usury, if you really are believers. And if you do not, then take notice of war from Allah and His Messenger. But if you repent, you will have your capital sum. Do not deal unjustly and you will not be dealt with unjustly.” [Al-Baqarah: 278-279]

و إنْ كان ذُو عسرةٍ فنظرةٌ إلى ميسرةٍ

“…and if the debtor has difficulty (in repaying the debt), then grant him time til it is easy for him to repay…” [Al-Baqarah: 280]  

Allah gives notice to His servants about the unlawfulness of demanding that which is owed from one who is unable to repay the debt, nor to burden him with an increase on the amount due because of granting him time in order to be able to pay the debt. On the contrary the granting of time for such is obligatory. This is from Allah’s mercy, kindness towards His servants, and protecting them from oppression and greed that will inevitably harm them and will be of no benefit to them.

As for deposits in non interest banks there is no problem in doing such if the Muslim is obliged to do so. As for working at an interest based bank this is not permissible whether he be manager, secretary, an accountant, etc. This is due to Allah’s statement:

و تعاونوا على البرِّ و التقوى و لا تعاونوا على الإثم و العدوان و اتَّقوا الله إنَّ الله شديد العقاب

“And aid each other in righteousness and piety and do not aid one another in sin and transgression and fear Allah, indeed He is severe in punishment.” [Al-Ma’idah: 2]  

And due to that which is authentically attributed to the Prophet -sallahu alayhi wa salaam- where he said, “Surely Allah curses usury and he who mandates it, its witnesses, and its scribe(he who writes or types a contract that has therein usury). He said they are all the same.”  The verses and narrations that forbid aiding in the committing of sin are plentiful. Also forbidden is leasing property to banks due to the previously mentioned evidence, as this is aiding them in accomplishing their interest based activities.

Lastly, we ask Allah to bestow guidance upon all of us, to grant the Muslims with success in waging war against usury, warning against it and being sufficed with that which Allah and His messenger have declared to be lawful from business transactions.  

Translated by Najeeb Al Anjelesi

Source: فقه و فتاوى البيوع

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Q: What is the ruling on working in an interest based bank?

A: Employment therein is prohibited because it can either be aiding in usury (ribaa), and if that’s the case then he (the employee) is included in the specific curse which is authentically attributed to the Prophet -sallahu alayhi wa salaam- where he said, “Surely Allah curses usury and he who mandates it, its witnesses, and its scribe (he who writes or types a contract that has therein usury). He said they are all the same.” If this is not the case then perhaps he is pleased with this (type of) work and approves of it. Thus it is not permissible to work in a place that indulges in usury.

As for depositing your money in such (a bank) out of necessity, there is no problem in that regard if you can’t find a safe place (to store your money) besides these banks. In this case there is no problem with the condition that one does not indulge in usury, as to do so is prohibited.

Translated by Najeeb Al Anjelesi

Source:  فقه و فتاوى البيوع

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Indeed evidence from the Book and Sunnah indicate the prohibition of listening to musical instruments and whatsoever accompanies it (singing, chanting, humming in unison, etc). The Exalted says:

و من الناس من يشتري لهوِ الحديث ليُضِلَّ عن سبيل الله

“And from mankind are those who purchase idle speech in order to divert from Allah’s path…” [Luqman: 6]

Ibn Masud and others interpreted it as music (songs, singing, etc). Thus there should be no doubt that musical instruments and singing are apart of idle speech which diverts from Allah’s path. Likewise in Al Bukhari’s authentic collection (there is a narration wherein) the Prophet -sallahu alayhi wa salaam- said, “Surely there will be people from my nation that will declare permissible fornication and or adultery, the wearing of silk (for men), intoxicants (whether it is drunk, smoked, injected etc), and musical instruments…” This is very clear in its elucidation of the prohibition, because the declaring of something to be permissible can not exist unless it was (first understood to be) unlawful.

Hence the Prophet -sallahu alayhi wa salaam- as spoken the truth as there are people from his nation that utilize musical instruments from the perspective of heedlessness and lack of concern (for its prohibition).  So following whatsoever is in the Quran and Sunnah and abandoning prohibited behavior is obligatory upon the Muslim during Ramadan (and outside it) as they are emphasized (at this time) due to the virtues of this month, and in other months.

Translated by Najeeb Al Anjelesi

Source:  المنظار في بيان كثير من الأخطاء الشائعة

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Imitating the disbelievers in the organizing of celebrations (specific to them), or participating in them is prohibited. It is not permissible for any Muslim to organize a Christian celebration (banquet, festival, etc), nor to participate in such. Unfortunately some Muslims arrange such gatherings at their, jobs, companies, or homes and this enables them to practice their polytheistic religious ceremonies. So whoever imitates a people is of them, just as the Prophet -sallahu alayhi wa salaam- said: “Whoever imitates a people is from them.” Collected by Ahmad and Abu Dawud with a good chain.

Shaykh-ul-Islam Ibn Taimiyyah stated, “the least of what this narration necessitates is that imitating them is prohibited, although the apparent wording alludes to declaring such to be a disbeliever.” It is forbidden to participate in the celebrations of idol worshipers and the people of the book even if one only gives a small gift, or congratulates them. This (prohibition) is in order to uproot polytheism and to differentiate between the people of misguidance. Likewise in order to submit to Allah and His Messenger’s command, as the Exalted says:

و لا يكونوا كالذين أُوتوا الكتاب من قبلُ فطال عليهم الأمد فقستْ قلوبهم و كثيرٌ منهم فاسقون

   “…and they are not like those who received the Book before them, their term was prolonged and so their hearts were hardened, and most of them were sinful.” [Al-Hadid: 16]

Ibn Kathir said, “Allah forbid the believers from emulating them in any affair whether it be from the fundamental or branch issues.

Translated by Najeeb Al Anjelesi

Source: المنظار في بيان كثير من الأخطاء الشائعة

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

This is prohibited due to the Prophet’s -sallahu alayhi wa salaam- statement to Abdullah ibn Amr ibnil Aws when he saw him wearing two garments dyed with safflower, “these are the garments of the disbelievers, do not wear them!” Collected by Muslim. Ahmad reports a narration with a good chain of transmission wherein the Prophet -sallahu alayhi wa salaam- said, “be at variance with the people of the book.” And it was said, “O Messenger of Allah! Indeed the people of the book wear the sirwal (a garment similar to pants) yet they do not wear the izar.” He -sallahu alayhi wa salaam- replied, “wear the sirwal along with the izar and differ with the people of the book.” Therefore the Muslim does not wear any clothing that are specific to the disbelievers.

Translated by Najeeb Al Anjelesi  

Source: المنظار في بيان كثير من الأخطاء الشائعة

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Wearing fake (manufactured) nails or allowing the toe and fingernails to grow long opposes the natural disposition, just as its clarification has come in an agreed upon narration wherein Allah’s Messenger -sallahu alayhi wa salaam- said, “5 practices are from the fitrah: circumcision, shaving the pubic hairs, trimming the mustache, plucking the underarms, and clipping the nails.” Muslim reported a narration (in his sahih) upon the authority of Anas ibn Malik wherein he said, “the appointed time limit for us to trim the mustache, clip the nails, pluck the underarms, and shave the pubic hairs, was that 40 days should not be abandoned without doing so.” And the woman is included in that which was mentioned just as the man.

Translated by Najeeb Al Anjelesi

Source: المنظار في بيان كثير من الأخطاء الشائعة