Wants to join a course based on a usurious loan

8-1-2009 | IslamWeb

Question:

Assalamu alaikum, a friend of mine is taking an ECE course(early childhood education) and its a base on loan and she'll pay before the date that it will start the interest,free of interest with in certain amount of time and then few months of the course she'll need to take the practicum in which all kind of non muslim holidays like eastern, christmass and birthdays etc... are discuss and then have celebration at the school as it is a pre school, you cannot avoid for it for you need to have the practicum in order to finish the course. her case is not that bad that she need to work in order to survive as she has husband working and supporting all her needs and their children,she just need an extra income for some extra activities(like Arabic Madrasas)for her children . would appreciate the fatawa of this case. Jazakumm allahu khairan

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

 

Based on the details which you mentioned in the question, your friend is not permitted to join the course which you mentioned. The main reason which prohibits from joining such a course is entering into a Riba (interest and usury) contract without any necessity or dire need, even if her intention is to repay before the time of the interests start. That is because entering such a contract is confirming Riba; for more benefit, please refer to Fataawa 88433 and 82399.

Therefore, in order to be on the safe side, it is better to avoid such a contract.

In addition to this, participating in non-Muslim celebrations and festivals is an act of being pleased with the falsehood in which they are engaged.

For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 89840.

Allaah Knows best.