Spending Riba-based interests on one’s personal affairs

4-2-2014 | IslamWeb

Question:

As-Salaamu ‘Alaykum.
I gained 46,000 as interest on invested money at a Riba-based bank. Now I deeply regret having done that and want to repent to Allaah for this deed.
Should I pay that amount in charity?
If I do not own this sum of money now, should I borrow it?
If it happens that I have this amount of money in the future, should I pay it in charity though I am in need of it?
It should be known that I knew the impermissibility of this act when I did it.May Allaah Reward you.

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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.

Undoubtedly, it is impermissible to deal with Riba-based banks and take the interests of deposited money in them. This deed is considered unlawful by the texts of the Quran and Sunnah. The person who does this act will be fought by Allaah Almighty. In principle, it is impermissible to benefit from this interest and it is obligatory to spend it in channels of Muslims’ public interests. As long as you spent them in your own interests while you were aware of the impermissibility, you committed another sin in addition to taking the interest in the first place.

You do not have to do anything except sincerely repent. You do not have to spend another amount of money instead of the spent sum.

Allaah Knows best.