Fatwa No : 82568
Using a bank employee’s salary for household expenses

Using a bank employee’s salary for household expenses

What do the esteemed scholars and respected Muftis say regarding the following issue that a person has two brothers, Zaid and Amr, and a father named Khalid. They live together in a joint family system. Zaid and Amr are employed at an interest-based (riba-based) bank. Zaid’s salary is approximately 60,000 rupees and his position is that of a Treasury Manager, while Amr’s salary is about 20,000 rupees, but his official position has not yet been assigned. The father is retired from a government institution (PTV) and receives a pension of approximately 8,000 rupees. This person (the one asking) works in a factory and earns 10,500 rupees per month. There is no fixed arrangement for food and daily household expenses. Given this situation, what is the ruling on this person's eating and drinking at home (i.e., sharing household expenses)? What would be appropriate for him? What course of action should he take? Please kindly inform the person regarding this matter. Note: The reason Amr’s position has not been determined is because he is currently undergoing training with Allied Bank. His official post will be assigned soon, but it is not yet known what that position will be. Whenever necessary, someone brings sugar, someone brings flour, someone brings meat, etc., and this is how the household is functioning. That much only!

الجوابُ حامِدا ًو مُصلیِّا ً

Since most of the operations of conventional banks consist of non-Shar‘i (un-Islamic) and interest-based transactions, they are not permissible according to Islamic law. Consequently, the salary earned through employment in such banks is also subject to the same ruling. Therefore, the salary of the elder son, Zaid, is not permissible, and it is necessary to avoid using it for household needs. However, if Amr is not involved in interest-based transactions or their documentation, then the use of his salary, as well as that of the respected father, is technically permissible. Yet, due to Amr's association with an institution that engages in interest-based dealings, avoiding the use of his income is also better and preferable. As for what has already been used collectively in the household, repentance with sincere remorse and seeking forgiveness (tawbah and istighfar) is required. For the future, it is obligatory to avoid depositing any salary earned through interest-based work into the joint family account, and to refrain from using it for household expenses.

مأخَذُ الفَتوی

قال الله تبارك وتعالى: ﴿وَأَحَلَّ اللَّهُ الْبَيْعَ وَحَرَّمَ الرِّبَا﴾ (البقرة: 275)-
وفي مشكاة المصابيح: عن جابر رضي الله عنه قال : لعن رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم آكل الربا وموكله وكاتبه وشاهديه وقال: "هم سواء" . رواه مسلم (2/ 134)۔
وفي حاشية ابن عابدين: لو مات الرجل وكسبه من بيع الباذق أو الظلم أو أخذ الرشوة يتورع الورثة، ولا يأخذون منه شيئا وهو أولى بهم ويردونها على أربابها إن عرفوهم، وإلا تصدقوا بها لأن سبيل الكسب الخبيث التصدق إذا تعذر الرد على صاحبه اهـ (إلى قوله ) وفي الذخيرة: سئل أبو جعفر عمن اكتسب ماله من أمر السلطان والغرامات المحرمة، وغير ذلك هل يحل لمن عرف ذلك أن يأكل من طعامه؟ قال: أحب إلي في دينه أن لا يأكل اھ (6/ 385)۔