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Fatwa CenterWorking in usurious banks in Sri Lanka
Question
Assalamu allaikum, Mowlana Im Srilankan,I have a querry abt workink in a bank 1.Government owned Bank 2.Private Bank I seek a job in the goverment as well as private Bank in Srilanka -NonMuslim Country. I Tried several jobs but I couldn't get.according to my qualification I can apply for the post of Banking Assistant/staff Assistant.In this Country Islmaic institutions ,Mosques maintainig their accounts in government as well as private bank.Haj Pilgrims also taking money from this banks.As a non muslim country ,Muslims have no other remedies maintaing account in this banks.Tell me wheather working in bank halal?not intentionally earn interest,only for salary. In Srilanka Free education and other country developing are the part of the government banks services.and helping forces,farmers,grant scholarships for the poor students,So many benifits the nations even muslims getting from the government banks such as Bank of Ceylon.,Peoples Bank,etc Please be good enough to send me full details of this issue. Jazzakallahu khaira.
Answer
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, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
The banks that deal with Riba (interest and/or usury) –whether they are governmentally or privately owned –deal with Riba either in lending or in borrowing, and these banks may provide grants, gifts or financial assistance for different institutions, but in reality, they are still entities that deal with Riba and their main activity is Riba.
Therefore, working in these banks is helping them in their Riba-based activities, and it is on this basis that the contract between the employee and the administration of the bank is conducted. The contract agreement between the bank and the employee is not conducted on the basis of offering gifts or helping the poor, it is rather to perform the traditional bank transactions, all of which are based on Riba –as already stated.
It is not permissible for a Muslim to work in these banks whether they are in Muslim countries or in non-Muslim countries because Riba is forbidden regardless of the country where it is conducted.
As regards the Islamic institutions and mosques that have accounts in Riba-based banks, then this is permissible for a necessity provided they are current accounts without any interest.
For more benefit on the ruling of dealing with a Riba-based bank, please refer to Fatwa 90054.
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