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Fatwa CenterHas a savings account due to necessity
Question
I have a savings account in a bank on which I receive interests. I can't change my account to ordinary since this account charges a monthly fee of $3.45. Moreover, I'm not working, which is why I wouldn't be able to afford a fee of $3.45 per month. What am I supposed to do now? Is there an alternative solution. Is it also true that when one has a savings account on which he/she is receiving interest his/her Du'aa' don't get accepted. Please reply as soon as possible at my email address.
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 'alyhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
For a Muslim to put his money in banks that deal with usury and interest and earn interest on it is a forbidden transaction. Allaah Says (what means): {O you who believe, be afraid of Allaah and give up what remains (due to you) from Ribaa (usury and interest) (from now onward), if you are (really) believers. And if you do not do it, then take a notice of war from Allaah and His Messenger but if you repent, you shall have your capital sums. Deal not unjustly (by asking more than your capital sums), and you shall not be dealt with unjustly (by receiving less than your capital sums.)}[Quran 2:278-279] Therefore, you have to repent to Allaah and withdraw your money from the savings account from which you got interest and put it in an Islamic bank, or keep it with you or invest it in a permissible commercial business. It is not permissible at all to put the money in a current account in a bank that deals with usury and interest as in that way you are helping the bank in its usury and interest. The exception is if you fear that this amount of money could be stolen from you and do not find any other place to keep it, in which case it would be permissible for you to put your money in a current account. Saying that this costs you monthly fees is not an excuse for you to keep your money in an account with interest, knowing that these charges that the Islamic bank is taking are permissible in return for the services that it provides for saving your money, withdrawals, and the like.
Consuming usury and interest is an impediment to supplications being answered. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, mentioned (the case of) a man who had travelled a long distance - unkempt and dusty - and who raised his hands towards the heavens and supplicated, “O Lord! O Lord!” While his food is was ill-gotten, his drink was ill-gotten, his clothing was ill-gotten and he was fed with prohibited food; how could his prayers be answered? [Muslim]
Allaah Knows best.
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