Assalaamu alaykum. My question is: can one use a credit card to pay for Hajj and 'Umrah. Please reply quickly.

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

If the credit card is Islamically permissible to use, then it is permissible to use it to pay the expenses of Hajj and ‘Umrah, but if the card is unlawful to use, then it is forbidden to use it to pay the expenses of Hajj and ‘Umrah, and it is also not permissible to use it for other matters. Please, refer to fatwa 84519.

The use of credit cards to pay the expenses for Hajj and 'Umrah is no different from its use in paying other things; rather, it is more appropriate to seek permissible earning for Hajj and 'Umrah and other acts of worship because Allaah is Tayyib (good), and He does not accept except that which is good.

As regards the ruling on the use of credit cards in general: we cannot issue one single ruling on all of them, as they are of different types, but in general it is permissible to use them if they are free from the following main Islamic prohibitions:

A- Conditioning an interest or a penalty in the event of delayed payment, even if it is taken once only.

B- Taking issuing fees on uncovered cards in addition to the actual cost; but there is nothing wrong with the actual fees for issuing it.

C- Taking a fee for any withdrawal in the event that the visa card is not covered; it is permissible to take the actual fees only; any additional amount is interest.

Allaah knows best.