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Fatwa CenterTaking a Riba loan or taking military contract to pay medical school costs
Question
I am a student in United Stated and am about to start medical school next semester, Insha Allah. I applied to many schools and was accepted by a private medical college. The medical school costs around $40,000 a year. My family and I cannot afford to pay this large sum every year for four years. To pay my tuition I have two options:
1) Take a loan from U.S. government and pay interest on it; or 2) sign up for a four-year contract with U.S military to serve as a doctor upon completion of my education. Just a note; I asked the U.S. military and it answered that they hold the option of deploying doctors to any war. I did Istikhara before applying and I am still doing so, but it is a very tough decision. Which is the better option?
Answer
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.
We ask Allah, the Greatest, Lord of the Great Throne to fix your matters, make your problems easy and grant you and us what is beneficial.
Both options you are asking about are forbidden. A loan based on Riba is among the major sins. May Allah protect us from that.
The second is also forbidden since you may die not for the Sake of Allah, or you may become involved in a war against Muslims which is a hideous act and disgusting practice. Hence, you have to give up both options. Know that Allah will give you better than what you have left for Him. Allah Says (interpretation of meaning): {…And whosoever fears Allâh and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty). And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine….}[65:2-3].
Allah knows best.
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