The ruling regarding the salary of bank employees

Reference: Silsilah Kitaab ad-Da’wah (1), al-Fataawa – Volume 1, Page 142

Question: Is the salary which the employees of banks in general receive, and Arab banks specifically, halaal or haraam, since I have heard that it is haraam because the banks deal with ribaa in some of their transactions?

I request you advise me since I want to work in one of the banks.

Response: It is not permissible to work in banks which deal with ribaa, because in doing so is assisting them in sin and transgression, as Allaah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala) says:

{Help you one another in al-Birr and at-Taqwa (virtue, righteousness and piety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression}, [Soorah al-Maa.idah, Aayah 2].

And it is authenticated from the Prophet ﷺ that he cursed those who ate/benefitted (aakil) from ribaa as well as the one responsible [for the transactions], the one who writes [the transactions] and the witnesses [to the transactions], and he said:

«…they are the same/equal…», transmitted by Imaam Muslim.

He is a graduate of the Islaamic University of Madeenah, having graduated from the Institute of Arabic Language, and later the Faculty of Sharee'ah in 2004. He currently resides in Birmingham, UK.

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