Needs to open an Islamic account in a commercial bank
2-10-2006 | IslamWeb
Question:
I am doing work at home programme. A US company which employess me will be paying my salary with cheque to a bank which does not support my country. So i could not get my payments. So, I want to open a saving account in Singapore which can accept the cheques and then transfer to my local bank. I could not find any fully Islamic operating bank in Singapore. The bank I got the information has interest and usury but they offer Islamic accounts too. They also will transfer my money to my local bank in Malaysia with a fix amount or fee . I would like to open the Islamic account in that bank but it is Halal for me because they are a commercial bank which have usury and interest and at the same time offer Islamic account with Shariah Law. I can't find other country too because I need to go for the first time for the registry which I cannot affort if it is far. Singapore is the nearest for me and my traveling to there will not cost me a lot. What should I do? Please advice me.
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 is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.
It is permissible to deal with branches of banks which provide Islamic services and which are subsidiary to banks which deal with Ribaa (interest and usury) if such branches abide by the Islamic law in their dealings and are independent from the principle (banks of Ribaa) in their activities and investments.
For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 90500.
However, if there is no branch which abides by the Islamic law in its dealings and you are obliged to deal with a bank which deals with Ribaa, then it is permissible for you to do so provided you get rid of the interests thereof, if any, by spending them in charitable purposes; for more benefit in this regard, please refer to Fatwa 90054, and for the ruling of the travel of a woman, please refer to Fatwa 83795.
Allaah Knows best.