Salamualikum, My question is regarding Ribba. I ama government employee. We have to contribute a specific percentage of salary to Provident fund. But most of the employees deposit more than that with the inntentionof saving more. Government gives a fixed rate of interest on this fund for one year. However the rate of interest is fluctuating from year to year depending on the economy of the country. Government is using this money in runing the national affairs of the country and is calculated in the revenue receips in the yearly budget session. I request you to kindly clarify me whether this interest is Lawful according the Islamic Shariah. If not , what should muslim employees do with this interest. What advice would you like (in the light of Quran-o-Sunnah)to this community. Most of the empooyees can not be businessmen, There is no islamic banking system in the country, How could they save their earning from devaluing with the passage of time i.e. If I have one lakh rupees and I deposit it in the bank and do not accept interest after ten years my money will have the valye of onely ten thousand rupees of present time. I hope you may very kindly guide me and my colleagues in the light of Qurano and Sunnah.
Answer
(Fatwa: 1993/1539=H)
The government deducts some amount from the salary of the employee and makes some additions in the amount as per its rules. The employee does neither have possession of the amount nor he deposits it in the bank, then in this situation the provident fund and the additional amount is halal (lawful) for the employee, as per the Shariah definition it is not riba (interest).
And, if there is any other form of depositing the amount in a saving account then write it clearly. If the employee takes possession of the amount and deposits it with his own will or gets it deposited by bank then the additional amount shall be regarded as interest which is haram. By increasing and decreasing the value of money an interest-based dealing does not turn into interest-free one.
Allah (Subhana Wa Ta’ala) knows Best
Darul Ifta,
Darul Uloom Deoband
