1. I lived in Paris as a young engineer, and it was expensive to rent property. After a few years, I started to think about buying a house. At that time, I knew little about usury and the banking system, so I started researching the issue. From the research I found that loans were not allowed, but I also found some reasoning that allowed it under certain circumstances.
I persuaded myself and my wife, and we decided to take out a mortgage. But my father stopped me, saying he would never enter my house if I did. He knew that a mortgage was a usury and therefore haraam. So we put off buying a flat, and I started to delve into understanding the Islamic view of the financial and banking system.
Having studied these issues, I was convinced that usury is a very great sin, otherwise known as "war against Allah", as the Quran says.
What about buying real estate? Praise Allah, we resolved this issue and realised that it was possible to avoid usury and do permissible things. We looked for work outside Paris and then bought a plot. A few years later we designed our house and started building.
After working without weekends and holidays, we fulfilled our dream while saving a huge amount of money. Praise be to Allah, who allowed us to achieve this by avoiding the usury.
Takhar, telecom engineer in France
2. I am a qualified accountant. I once got a job in the finance department of an international bank. After a year on the job, the bank gave me a Nissan Maxima, offered me a construction loan, and the bonus was equal to my annual salary. After 3 years, I was transferred to another country, where I became head of the finance department, and my salary increased tenfold.
Then my iman began to grow and I realised that my work was not permissible. After doing a lot of research, I became even more convinced of this. I decided to quit, but then I was transferred to another country, with the prospect of training for a regional role.
I found a new job at a construction company that had just started. My salary was 40% less than the previous one. Everyone except my wife thought I was a fool. To be honest, I had these thoughts myself, but they went away as quickly as they came. Three months later the bank officially terminated the contract with me.
Unfortunately, the new company closed down after a year. My visa was cancelled, and I returned home without a job. It was hard, but I convinced myself that the decision to leave the bank had been the right one. And after 2 weeks, I got a job in a medical furniture company, supervising 4 branches of the group.
AbdalLah, financial manager
3. I opened a savings deposit account about a year ago and got about 0.2 per cent. Even though it was not much money, it was still some profit for a student. And during that time, I was making dua (supplication) so that Allah would increase my iman and bring me closer to Himself. After a while, I had the urge to close my account, for I had learnt that interest is haraam.
I went to the bank and asked to close the account, the bank employee thought I was crazy, she couldn't believe I wanted to do that, sat me down, explained to me the benefits of such accounts, to which I clearly replied, "No, I don't want to use those services any more".
Praise Allah, now I don't have accounts in any bank. I was able to forsake this sin for the sake of Allah. I realised that I did not earn much, only 2.5 dollars, but nevertheless, that money was forbidden.
I had applied for a scholarship before, and do you know what happened? I won it. I had completely forgotten about it, and thus Allah rewarded me for abandoning the haraam money. He showed me what would be best for me, and I am very grateful to Him.
Commentator from reddit
I persuaded myself and my wife, and we decided to take out a mortgage. But my father stopped me, saying he would never enter my house if I did. He knew that a mortgage was a usury and therefore haraam. So we put off buying a flat, and I started to delve into understanding the Islamic view of the financial and banking system.
Having studied these issues, I was convinced that usury is a very great sin, otherwise known as "war against Allah", as the Quran says.
What about buying real estate? Praise Allah, we resolved this issue and realised that it was possible to avoid usury and do permissible things. We looked for work outside Paris and then bought a plot. A few years later we designed our house and started building.
After working without weekends and holidays, we fulfilled our dream while saving a huge amount of money. Praise be to Allah, who allowed us to achieve this by avoiding the usury.
Takhar, telecom engineer in France
2. I am a qualified accountant. I once got a job in the finance department of an international bank. After a year on the job, the bank gave me a Nissan Maxima, offered me a construction loan, and the bonus was equal to my annual salary. After 3 years, I was transferred to another country, where I became head of the finance department, and my salary increased tenfold.
Then my iman began to grow and I realised that my work was not permissible. After doing a lot of research, I became even more convinced of this. I decided to quit, but then I was transferred to another country, with the prospect of training for a regional role.
I found a new job at a construction company that had just started. My salary was 40% less than the previous one. Everyone except my wife thought I was a fool. To be honest, I had these thoughts myself, but they went away as quickly as they came. Three months later the bank officially terminated the contract with me.
Unfortunately, the new company closed down after a year. My visa was cancelled, and I returned home without a job. It was hard, but I convinced myself that the decision to leave the bank had been the right one. And after 2 weeks, I got a job in a medical furniture company, supervising 4 branches of the group.
AbdalLah, financial manager
3. I opened a savings deposit account about a year ago and got about 0.2 per cent. Even though it was not much money, it was still some profit for a student. And during that time, I was making dua (supplication) so that Allah would increase my iman and bring me closer to Himself. After a while, I had the urge to close my account, for I had learnt that interest is haraam.
I went to the bank and asked to close the account, the bank employee thought I was crazy, she couldn't believe I wanted to do that, sat me down, explained to me the benefits of such accounts, to which I clearly replied, "No, I don't want to use those services any more".
Praise Allah, now I don't have accounts in any bank. I was able to forsake this sin for the sake of Allah. I realised that I did not earn much, only 2.5 dollars, but nevertheless, that money was forbidden.
I had applied for a scholarship before, and do you know what happened? I won it. I had completely forgotten about it, and thus Allah rewarded me for abandoning the haraam money. He showed me what would be best for me, and I am very grateful to Him.
Commentator from reddit
