Many Muslims have interest-bearing accounts. Interest is without any doubt Riba and therefore Haram. What are the circumstances in which we find ourselves that force us to have bank accounts even though we know bank accounts are Haram? How is it justified? Most people claim that this is a case of darurah, that is, extreme necessity. The issue we are concerned with here is “what to do with the interest the Muslims are receiving on their bank deposits?” What is the correct way of dealing with the interest, given the present circumstances?
Most people decide between the following options:
1. Keep the interest as part of the darurah situation
2. Give the interest to charity
3. Return the interest to the bank directly or arrange a special noninterest account.
There is a fourth option which is the one this book is proposing: to use the interest to change the condition of darurah.
