Fatwa n° 224

Category: Fatwas about financial transactions – Loan a Currency Exchange

Concerning the validity of spending the usury-based
interests in the maintenance of a building

Question:

Is it permissible to spend the usury-based interests in the benefit of the building where I live such as: the upkeep of the building or buying lamps or paying the building’s electricity invoice? May Allah reward you.

Answer:

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Peace and blessing be upon whom Allah sent as a mercy to the Worlds, upon his Family, his Companions and his Brothers until the Day of Resurrection.

The bank interests should primarily be spent in public amenities as well as in the Muslims’ interests so that they benefit thereof in a general way, knowing that these usury-based interests are neither the bank’s, the trader’s nor the depositor’s property. Therefore, they must belong to the Muslims’ treasury or the general treasury of the State if possible.

Otherwise, they must be spent in the same amenities wherein the State spends them such as the orphanages and nurseries as well as in retirement homes. Further, they may be spent in repairing sidewalks or in reconditioning the sewage pipes as well as digging wells and the like. Nevertheless, if this is not possible, they should be spent on poor and needy people. In the light of what has been said, the building cannot benefit people in a general way but its benefit is restricted only to its inhabitants; therefore, it is not suitable to spend the usury-based interests exclusively on that building without the other buildings.

The perfect knowledge belongs to Allah عزَّ وجلَّ; and our last prayer is all the praises and thanks are to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and prayers of Allah are to Muhammad and his Family, Companions and Brothers until the Day of Resurrection.

Algiers on: Rabî‘ Ath-Thânî the 7^th, 1427 H.
Corresponding to: May the 6^th, 2006 G.