Does Extending My Gym Membership Constitute Riba?
Answered by Shaykh Muhammad Carr
Question
I am currently in an 18-month gym contract that costs $45 fortnightly. Due to a 3-month holiday, the gym has offered to freeze my membership at $5 per week, extending my contract by 3 months, making the total duration 23 months. Is this considered riba because the total amount paid increases, or is it permissible due to the agreed extension?
Answer
May Allah reward you for ensuring that your contracts are Shari‘a compliant.
Freezing your membership for three months is equivalent to extending the membership for the said period. Extending the membership for a fee is permissible and does not constitute riba.
Riba
Riba is defined as a contract with usurious items as its subject matter, the exchange of which is considered unequal by the Shari‘a at the time of the contract. Riba also applies when there is a postponement of both the item and its counter-value or one of the two. [Bayjuri, Hashiya]
In principle, service-level agreements fall outside the ambit of riba. The only application of riba in service-level agreements is if an extra cost is levied on overdue payments.
It would be beneficial to consult a local Islamic finance specialist with a degree in Shariah law for detailed rulings tailored to your situation.
I pray this is of benefit and Allah guides us all.
[Shaykh] Muhammad Carr
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Mohammad Abu Bakr Badhib
Shaykh Muhammad Carr has dedicated his life to studying and transmitting our beautiful deen. His studies have taken him around the globe, where he has benefitted from many luminaries. Under the guidance of his teachers – Shaykh Taha Karan, Shaykh Yaseen Abbas, Shaykh Muadh Ali and many others – Shaykh Muhammad has grown to appreciate the beauty and benefits of diverse scholarship. He completed his memorization of the Qur’an at Dar al-Ulum Zakariyyah in September 1997 and received an Alimiyya Degree in 2006 from DUAI (Darul Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah). He is also affiliated with Masjid Auwal in Bo Kaap, Cape Town (the oldest mosque in South Africa), where he serves as a co-imam, and Dar Al-Safa, where he has taught since 2018. As a teacher, he imparts the wisdom of our heritage and tradition by opening the door for students. As an imam, he has the unique opportunity to serve his community in daily life.
In addition to his roles as a teacher and imam, Shaykh Muhammad Carr has contributed significantly to the administrative and advisory aspects of Islamic institutions. Since 2023, he has served as the Administrative Director at The Imam Kurani Institute, contributing to the institution’s growth and development. He continues to pursue traditional Islamic Sciences, possessing a keen interest in Islamic Contract Law and Finance. Shaykh Muhammad has been a Shari’ah Board Member for Islamic Asset Management & Insurance Companies since 2001, aligning financial practices with Islamic principles.
