Ruling on depositing money in a bank account that is involved in Riba

31-10-2023 | IslamWeb

Question:

Alsalam Alaykum Am I sinful if my mother puts my money in a bank account that is involved in riba? When my father died he left money for me and my siblings for our university tuitions and my mom put this money in a joint bank account under her name that gives monthly interest. Should I use the money on the main account for University and give the interest to charity? I cant move the money to a different account or bank because its under my moms name. Will I be accountable for this?

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

There is no sin upon you if your mother places your money in an interest-bearing account without your consent. You are allowed to benefit from the capital of your money, and as for the interest earned, dispose of it by spending it on acts of charity and public welfare, such as charitable organizations and the like.

Make your mother aware of the prohibition of such usurious transactions and ask her to transfer the funds from the interest-based bank to a bank that follows the principles of Islamic Sharee'ah or other permissible investment options.

If your mother does not agree to this, request from her that she gives you the money so that you can manage it in a permissible manner, avoiding transactions involving usury.

For further guidance, refer to the fatwa numbered 323740.

Allah knows best.