Assalm-o-alikum I am 23 yr old muslim (student) living in UK for past couple of years, I admit that i wasnt a good muslim and commited lots of sins in past but alhamdulillah few months ago Allah SWT guided me suddenly and shown me the right path and gave me the chance to repent for my sins and become good muslim. I've repented honestly, seriously and sincerly and also repent whenever a memory of my sins comes back to me. As I am trying hard and alhamdulillah i believe that i am away from most of the sins now but i have taken loan and got debt on my credit cards (and they are not interest free). As riba is one of the major sins I am still into this big sin and desperately wants to come out of it. i might be able to payoff all my credit card balances somehow, but i wont be able to pay loan any time sooner and it is not possible to get loan(interest free) from someone (e.g friends, family) to pay off the bank. It may still take minimum a year to pay it back if i try very hard otherwise payback period is 3 yrs and portion of the loan gets deducted from my account monthly ( so I am doing major sin every month!!) one payment will be due in Ramadan also will I be commiting such a big sin in such a blessed month ??? Please tell me what shall I do, I want to be clean and as much sin free as possible and asap. Secondly, In past few year i got a nick Riz from Rizwan which i never mind; non-muslim and some muslim friends, colleagues and managers normally call me with Riz. Is it permissible in Islam or I should not allow anyone to call me Riz?? Please guide me, i'll be very thankful to you. Jazakallahu Khayran Rizwan

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. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

All perfect praise be to Allaah Who enabled you to repent before it is too late. You should know that whoever is involved in Ribaa (interest and usury) not knowing that it is forbidden, then he is not sinful but he should repent in any case, and give back the money to its owner. If there is no way to avoid paying the Ribaa, then you should pay it and the sin it in this case is on the one who takes.

For more benefit, please refer to Fataawa 86202 and 85749, and for the conditions of repentance, please refer to Fatwa 87903.

If it is not possible for you to borrow money without Ribaa in order to pay your debts to the bank, and delaying the payments of installments will lead to a monthly deduction from your account, then do not borrow money with Ribaa in order to pay your loan unless you are really in necessity to do so. If such is the case, then we hope that you are not sinful for this monthly deduction as you are excused for not being able to get rid of it.

However, you should try your utmost to get rid of the consequences of this Ribaa which you were involved in. We ask Allaah to help you and accept your repentance.

As regards your second question, it is permissible to change your name or to add or omit some letters from it as long as this does not lead to mocking the named person.

Indeed, Al-Bukhari wrote a chapter entitled: "Whoever, while calling a friend, omits a letter from his name", and he mentioned in it the statement of the Prophet to 'Aa'ishah : ''O 'Aa'ishah, this is Jibreel (angel Gabriel) sending his greetings to you.'' She replied: "Peace and Allaah's Mercy be on him."

Furthermore, the Prophet called Anjashah, the Prophet's servant: ''O Anjash, pull the camels slowly when having ladies on them."

Allaah Knows best.