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Do We Share the Sin of Riba When Someone Uses Our Account?

15 October, 2026
Q A brother has been using my account at a store for a while and has saved a lot of money by doing so. Last month, they paid late and incurred an interest charge. They paid it, but it troubled me a lot, and I warned them about it. This month, they paid one day late, and the same thing happened. To protect us and to save them from falling into sin, I have forbidden them from using my account and instructed the company not to allow them to purchase under our account. We have tried to get a credit for the interest charges but were denied. My concern is: do we bear any sin in this case, where it was an abuse of a favor? We did, of course, set up the account in the first place, which had a Riba-based clause. May Allah forgive us.

Answer

Dr. Mohsen Haredy
15 October, 2026

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. 

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

In this fatwa:

Allowing someone to use an account with an optional Riba clause may be permissible when no alternative is available. If you have done your best to prevent interest charges, you may not bear the sin. Automatic payments can help prevent late-payment interest.

Responding to your question, Prof. Dr. Monzer Kahf, Professor of Islamic Finance & Economics at the Faculty of Economics and Management, Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University, Turkey, states:

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Setting up an account with Riba on an optional basis, i.e., if you delay settlement and this is in your hands, is permissible when no other alternative is available. Of course, if the other side is Muslim, it is Haram for them to require this condition in the account. This is similar to my opinion on credit cards in Western countries.

InShaAllah, there is no sin involved as long as you did your best. Next time you give a privilege, have your friend authorize the company to automatically withdraw the entire due balance from their account. Any such delay will then be the responsibility of the company.

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Almighty Allah knows best.