Fatwa No : 25720
Ruling on Obtaining a Credit Card

Ruling on Obtaining a Credit Card

My question is with regards to credit cards. I have a credit card on which the bank loans me money and charges a processing fee. For example; the bank loans 5,000 dirhams with no interest rate, which will be paid back to the bank in investments throughout the period of a year, however, 4% of the loaned amount is charged as processing fees. If I pay back the installments on time, no interest rates will be applied. Would it be permissible to take a loan in this scenario?

الجوابُ حامِدا ًو مُصلیِّا ً

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Obtaining and using a credit card is only permissible under the condition that client avoids making late payments so that he is not obligated to pay interest, since that would be unlawful. Furthermore, it is only permissible to obtain a cash balance on a credit card (which is a load in reality) on the condition that the client is not obligated to pay back more than the amount of the balance, since in this case, the extra amount would not be against any services provided , rather, it would be against the cash balance issued to the client, which is in reality a loan, and taking extra on the basis of a loan is interest. Nonetheless, it is permissible charge extra fees for the withdrawal of money from an ATM since this is not an interest transaction. After taking into consideration all of the aforementioned, it would be permissible for the questioner to obtain a credit card. Similarly, if the questioner takes a loan from a non-interest bank, then that would also be permissible for him.

مأخَذُ الفَتوی

قال فی الجامع الفصولین: للقاضی أن یاخذ ما یجوز لغیرہ وما قیل فی کل الف خمسۃ دراہم لا نقول بہ ولا یلیق ذلک با لفقہ وأی مشقۃ للکاتب فی کثرۃ الثمن وإنما اجر مثلہ بقدر مشقۃ او بقدر عملہ فی صنعۃ ایضا کحکاک وثقاب لیستاجر باجر کثیر فی مشقہ قلیلۃ قال بعض الفضلاء: افھم ذلک جواز أخذ الأجر الزائدۃ وإن کان العمل مشقۃ قلیلۃ ونظرہم لمنفعۃ المکتوب لہ الخ قلت: ولا یخرج ذلک عن اجرۃ مثلہ فإن من تفرغ لہذا العمل کثقاب اللآلی مثلًا لا یأخذہ الاجر علی قدر مشقۃ فإنہ لا یقوم بمؤونتہ ولو الزمناہ ذلک لزم ضیاع ہذا الصنعۃ فکان ذلک اجر مثلہ (رد المحتار: ج:۵ ص: ۹۲) واللہ اعلم