Fatwa #1419927 April 2006India
works in a Foreign Bank. His job is to call various people and ask them to take loan from the bank on interest.
Question
My brother-in-law works in a Foreign Bank. His job is to call various people and ask them to take loan from the bank on interest. He gets a fixed salary plus some commission on the business that he obtains from the clients. My father-in-law is engaged in estate business and he also buys and sells stocks. The major source of monthly income of my in-laws is contributed by my brother-in-law. I have few questions regarding the aforementioned situation.
1) Is this income Halal for my in-laws as they have no other significant source of income.
2) Is it in any case permissible for me or for my wife to eat at my in-laws?
3) Is it permissible for us to accept gifts from them?
4) Will eating at my in-laws render my 40 days or 40 times salats invalid?
5) Being so close relations, what should I do?
Answer
Commercial Banks deal in interest and gambling which are expressly prohibited in the Quraan. Allah Taa’la states "Do not assist in Sin". It is not permissible to either become an agent of the bank nor assist them as one will be aiding in interest and gambling. The income derived from such a business will not be halaal.
At the outset, it is important for you to understand that these are sensitive issues as it relates to your in laws and indirectly to your wife. You should always apply wisdom and tact when addressing these issues and should try to avoid discussing this issue with your wife. We all are human and we all have faults. No one is free from blemish and mistake. After all that is the parents of your wife and she has love for them. By creating a negative attitude towards them, it should not be that it affects your marriage.
Nevertheless, if you are confident that what your in laws are providing is from haraam sources, you will have to abstain from eating at their place. There are two issues that you have to bear in mind. A) Eating B) Maintaining relationship. If you are not eating at their residence, you should still maintain your relationship with them. You should excuse yourself from eating in a manner that does not cause harm to them. If they have confidence in you and you may somehow have influence over them, use the opportunity to correct the wrong. Try and persuade your brother in law to find another suitable halaal job. This will bring them closer to Deen.
And Allah Knows Best
Mufti Ebrahim Desai