Q567 :A nationalized bank in my hometown has offered
to rent my house, but I am reluctant to accept, because of the
activities the bank undertakes. I told my family members who have
questioned me that to support usurious practices is like waging a war
against Allah. Are we not, however, supporting banks when we open
current account with them?
A567 : May Allah reward you for your attitude. It is
certainly an action of a good Muslim to refuse higher rent for the
reasons you have mentioned. However, you need not go to this extent.
You are not actually supporting the bank by giving your house to them
on rent. You should not forget that it is perfectly permissible to let
your house to non-Muslims. By doing so, you are not encouraging the
non-Muslims to stick to their beliefs. This is purely a business
transaction which is perfectly permissible. At the time of the Prophet,
his netpanions had all sorts of business dealings with non-Muslims.
When the Prophet passed away, his own body armor was pawned with a Jew.
That did not constitute support for the Jew in his business or
encouragement to him in his practices. When you have an account with a
bank, which does not earn you any interest, you are not supporting the
bank. You are actually getting a service from the bank which keeps your
money safely and provides it to you when you need it. The service is
much wider than that, and it facilitates your business. [Some banks
even charge a fee every month for providing the services.]
Our Dialogue ( Source : Arab News – Jeddah )