Jamiatul Ulama KZN Council of Muslim Theologians
Kindly advise if interest money can be used to pay a security company which provides armed response. Their fees are rather high and difficult to keep up with. These days the crime rate and the house break ins are very rife and one needs to have the security although I know Allah is the best Protector.
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
As a general rule, no Muslim by his free choice should engage in interest bearing transactions. Allah the Almighty has vowed to wage war with the one who deals with interest. You must do all that is in your capacity to free yourself from engaging in interest. Any interest money you have in your possession must be discharged off without the intention of attaining reward; instead you will be merely ridding yourself from wrongly-acquired money.
One cannot benefit from interest money. It is totally impure. Interest money must be given to those poor people who are eligible to receive Zakaat.
Hence, it is not permissible to use the interest money for your benefit by paying a security company. Nevertheless, it is necessary to maintain security, thus you should consider making adjustments in your standard of living to accommodate security costs in your expenditure. Stay away from comfort and luxuries to facilitate basic requirements of life
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
