Assalamu Alaykom Wa Rahmatu Allah 1- University education is one of the most important needs of the time for Muslims living in the United States, and it could be considered one of the necessities on the basis that necessity refers to something the lack of which entails harm on the Muslim and there is no other alternative to it. 2- Muslim students must expend their strenuous efforts in finding lawful sources to fund their studies, such as grants, financial aid, scholarships, and labor programs of the university. 3- If the student can decrease his study load and work part time to financially support oneself, or take a subsidized loan, he shall do so. 4- If the student cannot do that and needs a subsidized loan, he will be allowed to take the loan on condition that he takes only the amount needed and tries his best to settle his debts in the repayment period to avoid paying the interests. 5- When the subsidized loan (which is interest-free) is not enough, and there is no other way except borrowing in interest, it will be permissible for him to borrow in interest only an amount that obviates his necessity. That is because necessity must be answered proportionately. Borrowing should take place after he has already enrolled in his study, since things which were not tolerable at the beginning can be tolerated later. Most importantly, the Assembly of Muslim Jurists in America adopted the above approach, and even allowed taking unsubsidized loan to start the higher education with, if it is the only available resouce. The Fatwa went as follows: The default is the forbiddance of interest-based loans regardless of whether these loans are for students or otherwise due to it falling under the clear interest that the scholars unanimously agreed, past and present, on its impermissibility. It is incumbent that all efforts are spent in finding permissible alternatives before leaping to the justification of urgency or need. • In the world of Western Universities, academic scholarships are granted for the outstanding (students) and unable (to afford), alongside work-study opportunities that allow for combining between studying and earning, by which one can avoid falling into these loans. Also, there may be subsidized loans that the nation pays its interest if the student is able to repay all he owes within six months of his graduation. In addition, there are grants provided by some companions and institutions in exchange for employment contracts with it after graduation. It is incumbent that one spends his efforts in (trying) all this. • If all of these are inexistent, and the interest-based loans are the only way to facilitate the beginning or continuation of a university education, or the only way to secure the Muslim communities need for what cannot be done without of professions and expertise, then this is considered an urgent necessity that removes the sin even though the ruling of impermissibility remains. This is upon the condition that the one forced to this isn’t an aggressor nor transgressor, and this is by giving the urgent need its proper estimate, and by continuing to search for a permissible alternative and breaking free of these interestbased loans when one is first able to do so in order to minimize the interest amount paid as much as possible. We emphasize the need to return to the people of Fatwa (i.e. qualified to passed a juristic opinion on Islamic Law) to estimate these needs and urgencies. It isn’t correct that for just anyone to assume the responsibility to do this, or to measure his need on the need of others. For more details, please follow the link: http://www.amjaonline.com/en_d_details.php?id=322 Dr.Main Al-Qudah Assistant Professor of Islamic Studies Imam, MAS Katy Center Member, AMJA Fatwa Committee -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Kantakji Group" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group لفك الاشتراك من المجموعة أرسل للعنوان التالي رسالة فارغة, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/kantakjigroup?hl=en سياسة النشر في المجموعة: ترك ما عارض أهل السنة والجماعة... الاكتفاء بأمور ذات علاقة بالاقتصاد الإسلامي وعلومه ولو بالشيء البسيط، ويستثنى من هذا مايتعلق بالشأن العام على مستوى الأمة كحدث غزة مثلا... عدم ذكر ما يتعلق بشخص طبيعي أو اعتباري بعينه باستثناء الأمر العام الذي يهم عامة المسلمين... تمرير بعض الأشياء الخفيفة المسلية ضمن قواعد الأدب وخاصة منها التي تأتي من أعضاء لا يشاركون عادة، والقصد من ذلك تشجيعهم على التفاعل الإيجابي... ترك المديح الشخصي...إن كل المقالات والآراء المنشورة تُعبر عن رأي أصحابها، ولا تعبّر عن رأي إدارة المجموعة بالضرورة.
