The activities of banks at present are not related to Islamic contracts and are carried out according to the global and non-Islamic economic system; because accepting people’s deposits and taking possession of them, which is the basis of the activities of banks, if done as a “loan,” cannot bring profit to people; because loans have not been legislated in Islam to bring profit, but to have Muslims help each other, and therefore, any profit arising from loans is devouring people’s wealth falsely. Also, accepting people’s deposits and taking possession of them, if done as “trust,” cannot bring profit to banks; because trust has not been legislated in Islam to bring profit, but to have Muslims help each other, and therefore, any profit arising from trust is devouring people’s wealth falsely. Also, accepting people’s deposits and taking possession of them, if done as “mudarabah,” cannot bring any known and conditioned profit to people; because the profit arising from mudarabah is neither known nor conditioned, but rather it changes according to the manner of trade and the conditions of the market, and therefore, any known and conditioned profit in it is devouring people’s wealth falsely, while Allah Almighty has said: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَأْكُلُوا أَمْوَالَكُمْ بَيْنَكُمْ بِالْبَاطِلِ﴾[1]; “O you who believed! Do not devour one another’s wealth among yourselves falsely.” Based on this, any cooperation with banks in their current structure, especially considering their connection to the global banking network which is often in the service of the forces of evil, is cooperation in sin and transgression, while Allah Almighty has said: ﴿وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ﴾[2]; “And do not help one another in sin and transgression, and fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is severe in punishment.”

Therefore, a believer should get a purer job and not fear poverty; because Allah is a Merciful Provider, and He opens a door to what is lawful for those who, fearing Him, leave the unlawful, and provides for them from where they do not expect; as He has promised in His book and said: ﴿وَمَنْ يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَلْ لَهُ مَخْرَجًا ۝ وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ ۚ وَمَنْ يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بَالِغُ أَمْرِهِ ۚ قَدْ جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدْرًا﴾[3]; “And whoever fears Allah, He will make a way out for him, and provide for him from where he does not expect, and whoever relies on Allah, then He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah fulfills His work. He has set a measure for everything.”

Lending on the condition that the borrower repays at a certain percentage more than the money he has actually received is usury, which Allah Almighty has forbidden in His Book, even if it is in the name of a commission; because changing the name does not change what is named, and actions are judged by the intention. A good loan is one given without a condition of repaying extra money and without a condition of late payment fines, and this is what banks do not do; because banks seek profit, not reward, and therefore, they do not do what does not have profit for them. For this reason, Allamah Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani has warned believers against going to banks and urged them to go to each other; because going to banks is either falling into what is clearly unlawful or falling into what is doubtful, and it is not right to fall into what is doubtful either; as it has been narrated from the Messenger of Allah that he said: «الْحَلَالُ بَيِّنٌ وَالْحَرَامُ بَيِّنٌ وَبَيْنَهُمَا مُشْتَبِهَاتٌ، لَا يَعْلَمُهَا كَثِيرٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ، فَمَنِ اتَّقَى الشُّبَهَاتِ اسْتَبْرَأَ لِدِينِهِ وَعِرْضِهِ، وَمَنْ وَقَعَ فِي الشُّبَهَاتِ وَقَعَ فِي الْحَرَامِ، كَالرَّاعِي يَرْعَى حَوْلَ الْحِمَى فَيُوشِكُ أَنْ يُوَاقِعَهُ، وَإِنَّ لِكُلِّ مَلِكٍ حِمًى، وَإِنَّ حِمَى اللَّهِ مَحَارِمُهُ»[1]; “Indeed, the lawful is clear and the unlawful is clear, and between them are doubtful matters which many people do not know. So whoever avoids doubtful matters clears his liability regarding his religion and his honor, and whoever falls into doubtful matters will fall into the unlawful, just like a shepherd who grazes his sheep in the vicinity of a pasture declared prohibited and is, thus, likely to let them graze in a prohibited area. Indeed, every king has a protected area, and the protected area of Allah is His prohibitions.”

A loan with the condition that you repay it with an extra amount is considered usury, which is one of the greatest sins, to the extent that Allah Almighty has considered it a declaration of war against Himself and His Messenger. Therefore, it is not permissible to get such a loan; because it is cooperation in sin, while Allah Almighty has said: ﴿وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ﴾[1]; “And do not help one another in sin and transgression, and fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is severe in punishment.” It is clear that what Allah has made unlawful is not made lawful by what the wife or her family desires; as He has said: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّ مِنْ أَزْوَاجِكُمْ وَأَوْلَادِكُمْ عَدُوًّا لَكُمْ فَاحْذَرُوهُمْ﴾[2]; “O you who believed! Indeed, some of your wives and children are your enemies, so beware of them,” and said: ﴿وَلَئِنِ اتَّبَعْتَ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ ۙ إِنَّكَ إِذًا لَمِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ﴾[3]; “And if you follow their desires after the knowledge that has come to you, then you will certainly be one of the wrongdoers.” Therefore, believers, if they do not die by refraining from this unlawful act, must fear Allah, be patient with hardships and deficiencies in the life of the world, adhere to contentment and asceticism, and help each other; because remaining pure in the end time is difficult for them, but it has a greater reward proportionally; as it has been narrated from the Messenger of Allah that he said: «الْمُتَمَسِّكُ بِسُنَّتِي عِنْدَ فَسَادِ أُمَّتِي لَهُ أَجْرُ شَهِيدٍ»[4]; “Whoever adheres to my sunnah when my ummah is corrupt will have the reward of a martyr,” and in another narration: «لَهُ أَجْرُ خَمْسِينَ شَهِيدًا»[5]; “He will have the reward of fifty martyrs,” and in another narration: «لَهُ أَجْرُ مِائَةِ شَهِيدٍ»[6]; “He will have the reward of a hundred martyrs.” Also, it has been narrated that he said: «سَيَأْتِي عَلَى النَّاسِ زَمَانٌ لَا يُنَالُ الْمُلْكُ فِيهِ إِلَّا بِالْقَتْلِ وَالتَّجَبُّرِ وَلَا الْغِنَى إِلَّا بِالْغَصْبِ وَالْبُخْلِ وَلَا الْمَحَبَّةُ إِلَّا بِاسْتِخْرَاجِ الدِّينِ وَاتِّبَاعِ الْهَوَى، فَمَنْ أَدْرَكَ ذَلِكَ الزَّمَانَ فَصَبَرَ عَلَى الْفَقْرِ وَهُوَ يَقْدِرُ عَلَى الْغِنَى وَصَبَرَ عَلَى الْبِغْضَةِ وَهُوَ يَقْدِرُ عَلَى الْمَحَبَّةِ وَصَبَرَ عَلَى الذُّلِّ وَهُوَ يَقْدِرُ عَلَى الْعِزِّ آتَاهُ اللَّهُ ثَوَابَ خَمْسِينَ صِدِّيقًا مِمَّنْ صَدَّقَ بِي»[7]; “There will come a time upon people when dominion will not be obtained in it except by killing and tyranny, nor wealth except by usurpation and miserliness, nor popularity except by abandoning religion and following passions. So whoever reaches that time and endures poverty while he can be rich, endures being hated while he can be popular, and endures humiliation while he can achieve glory, Allah will give him the reward of fifty of the truthful who believed in me.” Yes, the reward of the truthful and the martyrs, which is the greatest reward after that of the Prophets, will be for a believer who remains pure when unlawful things have spread throughout the world and polluted all people, even if problems surround him; because remaining pure in such a time is more difficult than holding a burning coal; as it has been narrated from the Messenger of Allah that he said: «الْمُتَمَسِّكُ يَوْمَئِذٍ بِدِينِهِ كَالْقَابِضِ عَلَى الْجَمْرِ»[8]; “One who adheres to his religion in that time is like one who holds a burning coal.” This is a forced consequence of the non-establishment of Allah’s sovereignty over the earth, and the longer it continues, the more difficult it becomes for people to adhere to religion until finding a lawful morsel of food becomes more difficult for them than enduring a sword strike; as it has been narrated from Ali that he said: «ذَاكَ حَيْثُ تَكُونُ ضَرْبَةُ السَّيْفِ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِ أَهْوَنَ مِنَ الدِّرْهَمِ مِنْ حِلِّهِ»[9]; “That is when it is easier for a believer to endure a sword strike than to find one dirham of lawful money.” This is a natural consequence of the prolonged absence of Allah’s Caliph on the earth, and if it is not stopped as soon as possible by the will and action of people, a more difficult and frightening situation will dominate the world; as Allah Almighty has informed of it as one of His ways and said: ﴿وَمَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَنْ ذِكْرِي فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنْكًا﴾[10]; “And whoever turns away from remembering Me, he will have a life of great hardship,” and said: ﴿وَضَرَبَ اللَّهُ مَثَلًا قَرْيَةً كَانَتْ آمِنَةً مُطْمَئِنَّةً يَأْتِيهَا رِزْقُهَا رَغَدًا مِنْ كُلِّ مَكَانٍ فَكَفَرَتْ بِأَنْعُمِ اللَّهِ فَأَذَاقَهَا اللَّهُ لِبَاسَ الْجُوعِ وَالْخَوْفِ بِمَا كَانُوا يَصْنَعُونَ﴾[11]; “Allah sets forth the example of a town that was safe and secure, receiving its provisions in abundance from every side. Then it became ungrateful to the blessings of Allah. So Allah made (the inhabitants of) it taste extreme hunger and fear because of what they used to do.”