which Arabic and English are taught together. The Christians are
second in terms of statistics, but despite that their schools are of a
high level and everyone who completes his study in those schools
graduates with distinction. For that reason, the Muslims have started
to pull their children out of the Islamic schools and are sending them
to those Christian schools, and the effect of that on the
Muslimchildren is very clear to everyone. We do not have the means to
build an educational institution at the same level in order to save
them from this clear doom.
Is it permissible for us to take a loan from the riba-based bank in
order tobuild that educational institution for this purpose?
Please advise us, may Allahreward you with good.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Taking out a loan to be repaid with interest from any institution,
individual or bank is riba (usury) which is haraam and is a major sin.
Allah has warnedthe one who does that of curses and destruction in
this world and punishmentin the Hereafter.
See the answer to questions no. 8829 and 126056
Secondly:
What you are asking aboutof building an educational institution with
riba-based funding, to compete with the Christian schools, is not
regarded as an excuse that would make it permissible for you to take
out that haraam loan that would result in paying interest. This is not
one of the cases of necessity that may makeharaam things permissible.
The fathers and mothers who accept falling into haraam by taking their
children out of your Islamicschools and putting them in Christian
schools are incurring great sin by doing that. Their Lord will ask
them about this trust that they failed to fulfil in the proper manner.
There is no blame or sin on you for what these fathers and mothers are
doing, and Allah will not burden you with anything more than you can
bear. You have notfallen short in advising andteaching the people and
preparing a suitable place to teach their children. Rather this
neglect is on their part, and you cannot be blamed for what they do.
But if you take out a riba-based loan, you will be exposing yourselves
to the wrath and the punishment of Allah, and perhaps your action, if
you did that, would be more serious than what they are doing by taking
their children to those schools. So leave things as they are,and
whoever among the Muslims wants to stay withyou, let him do so, and
whoever refuses, you will not be brought to account for his actions.
There is nothing wrong with looking for other, permissible sources to
finance the building of the educational institution thatcan compete
with those Christian institutions. So look for someone who wants to do
good and can give you a goodly (interest-free) loan, or look for a
Muslim businessman who can help you building that institution and have
a share of the profits commensurate with his contribution, or follow
the well-known method of collecting donations from well-wishers to
establish your educational institution. Beware of riba-based loans,
for there is nothing good in them and they bring a great dealof sin
upon the one who does that or approves of it.
Shaykh 'Abd al-'Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked:
Is it permissible to take a loan from the riba-based banks in order to
compete with the missionaries with the aim of saving the Muslims from
Christianisation and so on?
He replied:
If it is a loan to be repaid with interest (riba), it is
notpermissible according to the consensus of the early generations of
the ummah,because the evidence from the Qur'aan and Sunnah indicates
that that is haraam, even if the intention is noble, because noble
aims do not justify haraam means or make them permissible. But if
theloan is without interest, there is nothing wrong with it. However,
taking loans from other sources, such as those who have wealth that is
free of riba, is better and preferable, and more on the safe side, if
that is possible.
We advise you to work together to obtain loans from good-hearted
Muslim businessman and to collect donations from them in order to save
the Muslim children from the hands of those who propagate
Christianity, idolatry and communism. This cooperation is obligatory
upon you, O Muslims, in Uganda and elsewhere. It comes under the
heading of jihad as prescribed in Islam and of da'wah or calling
people to Allah, and of enjoining what is good and forbidding what is
evil.We ask Allah to help and guide you, to make your intentions sound
and your actions correct....
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