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Fatwa CenterOpening accounts at banks that act against Muslims' interests
Question
We are a group of Muslims in a small town in the UK, and we are used to collecting donation after Jumaa Prayer as Sadaqa. we usually put the collections temporarily in a bank account so it is easy to transfer it to the needy later on. Recently, that bank started closing the accounts of the Muslim Activists that support Muslims in need, like Gaza, Syrian Refugees, etc. so we decided to check what other bank we can deal with, with a condition that such bank would never have acted against Muslims in the past. there is only one bank we found, but this bank does not offer Islamic Accounts (i.e. the money can be used in activities that may include Riba, Alcohol, etc, although the account we are planning to request does not pay interest). Our Question is what is worst of the two options below so we avoid it:1- Option 1: dealing with a bank that offers Islamic Account (where money is not used in anti-Shariaa activities) but the bank has acted against Muslims in the past with no apologies from bank side.2- Option 2: go with a non Islamic Account (where we get no interest or Riba), but the bank can benefit from the money that we temporarily deposit in his activities of Riba, or invest money in activities that are not approved by ShariaaJazakom Allah Khairan.
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.
It is required that you put your money in a permissible account that does not deal in forbidden matters, and not in an account that deals in forbidden matters, even if the bank does not pay interest, because just to deposit money in it consists in helping it in what is forbidden, and there is no considerable necessity by which it would be lawful to deal with it as long as a permissible alternative exists.
The fact that those banks did not apologize for previous mistakes is not an impediment for dealing with it.
Dr. Hosaam Affaanah said in his book Yas'aloonak: “In principle, it is forbidden to deal with a Riba-based bank because most of its transactions are related to lending and borrowing money with interest and usury, which is absolutely forbidden; but because of the circumstances in which we live, in terms of the risk of keeping cash and the lack of Islamic banks, and in terms of trade and industry being dependent on dealing with Riba-based banks, then it is permissible to open current accounts in Riba-based banks, provided that one does not connect them with Riba (interests and usury). In case there is an Islamic bank in the area of the client, then it is obligatory to deal with this bank only, and it is forbidden to deal with Riba-based banks.”
Allaah Knows best.
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