What is a usurious bank, and does working in an institution that pays your salary through a bank presumed to be usurious make the salary unlawful, and what should be done in this case?
Riba (usury/interest) is a specific increase for one of the contracting parties, devoid of any مقابل (counter-value) for it. It is divided into two types: 1. Riba al-Duyun (Interest on Debts): An increase in debt in exchange for an extension of the term. This is forbidden by the Qur’an. 2. Riba al-Buyu (Interest on Sales): This occurs in the sale of the six usurious commodities (gold, silver, wheat, dates, salt, barley) and what is analogous to them. It is divided into: Riba al-Fadl (Interest of Excess): An increase in one of the two عوضين (counter-values) over the other when selling a usurious commodity for another usurious commodity of the same type. Riba al-Nasi'ah (Interest of Delay): The delay in the قبض (taking possession) of one of the two عوضين (counter-values) in the sale of usurious commodities if they share the same علة (underlying reason/cause).
If the bank from which the salary is received is usurious, it is obligatory to transfer the salary to an Islamic bank. It is not permissible to keep the salary in a usurious bank except in cases of extreme necessity, provided that the salary is withdrawn immediately upon its deposit and not left in the current account.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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