What Should I Do If My Family’s Finances Are Heavily Involved with Riba, and I Feel Helpless and Spiritually Affected by It?
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
What should I do if my family’s finances are heavily involved with riba, and I feel helpless and spiritually affected by it?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate
I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question. May Allah reward you for being mindful of your actions and daily life.
First, be grateful that Allah has made it easy for you to understand that interest is a major sin, showing you direction and allowing you to seek guidance on how to refrain from it.
What You Can Do
- First, you should avoid dealing with it personally, like avoiding interest-based accounts or loans, earning halal income, and seeking blessings. Learn Islamic finance basics.
- From now on, speak with your family with wisdom and love so they can gradually come out of it. For example, ask questions rather than issuing judgments: “Have you considered an Islamic mortgage?” rather than “This is haram.”
- Separate your finances when possible; perhaps you can buy all the food items to avoid feeling guilty about not doing your part.
- Turn to Allah and make dua for a change in everyone’s understanding. Allah sees your struggle and sincerity.
- Continue to seek knowledgeable advice from reliable local scholars.
- Don’t despair, as your discomfort is a sign of faith, not failure, not being able to change things. So don’t let despair overwhelm you.
Mu‘awiya (Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “To whomever Allah wills goodness, He grants him understanding of the religion. Verily, I am only a distributor, but Allah is the giver. Those within this nation will continue to establish the commandments of Allah. They will not be harmed by anyone who opposes them until the decree of Allah has come.”
[Bukhari; Muslim]
I would like you to go through the valuable answers and links below. In sha Allah, you will receive guidance and direction.
Related
- Interest, Parents, & Upholding Good Character
- How to Avoid Riba (Usury): A Reader
- Provision and Work: A Reader – SeekersGuidance
- What are the principles of work and assisting in sin? Islam …(video)
Why not begin your search for knowledge by signing up for a course on SeekersAcademy (seekersguidance.org), like from the Islamic Studies Curriculum (seekersguidance.org), building your way up, doing each course?
I pray this helps with your question.
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Mawlana Ilyas Patel has received a traditional education in various countries. He started his schooling in the UK and completed his hifz of the Quran in India. After that, he joined an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied secular and Aalimiyya sciences. Later, he traveled to Karachi, Pakistan, and other Middle Eastern countries to further his education. Mawlana has served as an Imam in the Republic of Ireland for several years and taught the Quran and other Islamic sciences to both children and adults. He also worked as a teacher and librarian at a local Islamic seminary in the UK for 12 years. Presently, he lives in the UK with his wife and is interested in books and gardening.
