Category: Riba, Loans and Working in Banks

The Loan with Interest is not permissible

Question :

I am an employee who makes a salary of about 3,048 riyals (monthly) and I have been married for about a year. I have debts that are 53,000 riyals and the people, who I owe the debts to, often press me for payment, but I do not have the money to pay them back. Is it permissible for me to take out a loan from one of the banks that give loans while taking interest? This is while knowing that the loan will not cover half of my debts. Please benefit me with an answer. May Allah reward you with good.

Answer:

It is not permissible for the Muslim to take out a loan from the bank or anywhere else that is a loan with interest. This is because that is from the greatest forms of Riba. He must take the permissible means in seeking sustenance and paying off debt.

In what Allâh has allowed of transactions and types of earnings is what will suffice the Muslim from dealing with what Allâh has forbidden for him.

What is obligatory upon the people to whom the debt is owed is that they give you time until you are able to pay if they know that you are in difficult circumstances (i.e., unable to pay). This is due to Allâh's Statement:
"And if the debtor is in hard time (has no money), then grant him time till it is easy for him to repay; but if you remit it by way of charity, that is better for you if you did but know."

It has been authenticated from the Messenger of Allâh that he said:
"Whoever gives time (for payment) to someone in difficult circumstances (i.e., he is not able to repay), Allah will shade him in His Shade on a day in which there will be no shade except His Shade."

And he said:
"Whoever makes matters easy for someone in difficult circum- stances (i.e., if he has no money), Allah will make matters easy for him in this life and in the Hereafter."
And Allâh is the Giver of success.