Asalamo Alykum..My question is regarding a riba mortgage. I bought a house in my country by riba mortgage 2 years ago when I was non muslim (I was christian then). So I didn’t know it was wrong when I got this mortgage. Now 1 year ago I reverted to islam Alhamdullilah. Also I have since got married to a muslim man also and we have 1 son now. We are all living now in this house I have a riba mortgage with. I know I have to get rid of this house as I know it is haram. I want to sell it but I am unsure if I will get the amount of money that I paid for it because of the country being in a recession at present. I don’t want to sell it and still end up owing the bank more (we don’t have any savings as yet my husband and I).
My husband suggested we could live here and think of it as renting and when the time comes to leave (we plan to leave this country after maybe 6-7 years) we either (a) sell the house then or (b) walk away and not repay anything and leave the lender have the house. I didn’t want to do option (b) I told him. But what do you think about option (a). How is Allah with me ..the fact that I bought this house when I was non-muslim?
Also I have another question when I came muslim I covered (wore Hijab) straight away as I knew it was the truth. Since I covered we have come back to live in my country and I have removed the Hijab which I feel bad for but no-one of my family knows I am muslim yet. I am planning to tell them but asking Allah to give me the strength to do so. Is there ever a case in Islam when it is ok not to wear Hijab. I would be the only muslim covering where I work also.
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
Alhumdulillāh, it is a sign of your īmān that you are concerned about purifying your wealth and that you feel guilty about removing your hijāb. There are several aspects to your query, and each one will be answered separately.
First, the house that you bought through an interest-bearing mortgage before accepting Islām is NOT harām. The house is halāl and you are not obliged to sell it. The interest you are paying on your mortgage, on the other hand, is not permissible. You should try your best to stop paying interest and explore all feasible routes. If there is any Sharī’ah compliant house-financing scheme available, then you should finance your house through it. Alternatively, if you can get an interest-free loan (qard hasanah) from family or friends, then you could pay off your mortgage through it.
Even if you have to sell your house at [an apparent] loss, inshāAllāh, you will find more barakah (blessings) in your wealth after stopping interest payments. When interest mixes with a person’s wealth, it deprives the wealth of barakah, as understood from several ahādīth, such as the following:
أخبرنا علي بن حمشاد العدل ثنا علي بن عبد العزيز ثنا عمرو بن عون ثنا يحيى بن زكريا بن أبي زائدة ثنا إسرائيل عن الركين بن الربيع وأخبرنا أحمد بن جعفر القطيعي ثنا عبد الله بن أحمد بن حنبل حدثني أبي ثنا أبو كامل وحجاج قالا: ثنا إسرائيل عن الركين بن الربيع عن أبيه الربيع بن عميلة عن عبد الله بن مسعود : عن النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم قال: الربا و إن كثر فإن عاقبته تصير إلى قل (المستدرك للحاكم، كتاب البيوع: 2/43؛ العلمية)
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “Interest, even though it seems like it is growing, but its end result is scarcity.” (Mustadrak)
If, after exhausting all options, you are unable to find a way out of this interest-bearing mortgage, then you will be excused since you had entered into this transaction as a non-Muslim and tried your best to stop paying interest after accepting Islām. However, as soon as you find a way to free yourself from paying interest, you must do so.
Second, inshāAllāh, Allāh Ta’ālā will not be upset with you for buying this house with an interest-bearing mortgage before you accepted Islām. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
أما علمت أن الإسلام يهدم ما كان قبله (صحيح مسلم، باب كون الإسلام يهدم ما كان قبله…)
Do you not know that Islām destroys all [sins] that were [committed] before it? (Muslim)
Third, alhumdulillāh, you have accepted that hijāb is the truth and you feel bad because you know you have committed a wrong. Since you plan to tell your family anyway and they will find out eventually, you should just speak to them now and inform with proper wisdom. When your family and co-workers see your good character, manners, and modesty, they will be impressed with you (and Islām) and respect your hijāb. In addition, it will serve as a da’wah (invitation, appeal) for them to accept Islām.
حدثنا قتيبة بن سعيد حدثنا يعقوب بن عبد الرحمن بن محمد بن عبد الله بن عبد القاري عن أبي حازم قال أخبرني سهل رضي الله عنه يعني ابن سعد قال: قال النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم يوم خيبر لأعطين الراية غدا رجلا يفتح على يديه يحب الله ورسوله ويحبه الله ورسوله. فبات الناس ليلتهم أيهم يعطى فغدوا كلهم يرجونه فقال أين علي. فقيل يشتكي عينيه فبصق في عينيه ودعا له فبرأ كأن لم يكن به وجع فأعطاه فقال أقاتلهم حتى يكونوا مثلنا ؟ فقال انفذ على رسلك حتى تنزل بساحتهم ثم ادعهم إلى الإسلام وأخبرهم بما يجب عليهم فوالله لأن يهدي الله رجلا بك خير لك من أن يكون لك حمر النعم (صحيح البخاري، باب فضل من أسلم على يديه رجل)
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “…Allāh guiding one person through you is better than you having (the best of) camels. (Bukhārī)
In fact, it will serve as an encouragement for other Muslim women at your work who may feel uncomfortable wearing their hijābs. If they follow your example and start wearing hijābs to work, not only will they get the reward for doing so, but you will also get the reward for each of them.
حدثنا يحيى بن أيوب وقتيبة بن سعيد وابن حجر قالوا حدثنا إسماعيل – يعنون ابن جعفر – عن العلاء عن أبيه عن أبى هريرة أن رسول الله –صلى الله عليه وسلم– قال من دعا إلى هدى كان له من الأجر مثل أجور من تبعه لا ينقص ذلك من أجورهم شيئا ومن دعا إلى ضلالة كان عليه من الإثم مثل آثام من تبعه لا ينقص ذلك من آثامهم شيئا (صحيح مسلم، باب من سن سنة حسنة…)
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “Whoever calls towards guidance, he will have reward similar to those who followed him without any decrease from their reward…” (Muslim)
Alhumdulillāh, you took the first step in identifying the impermissibility of the interest-bearing mortgage and not wearing the hijāb. Now, you should proceed to the next step, which is to take firm actions to rectify both issues. May Allāh Ta’ālā make it easy. Āmīn.
And Allah knows best
Wassalamu Alaikum
Ml. Abrar Mirza,
Student Darul Iftaa
Checked and Approved by:
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In’aamiyyah