Is it permissible for me to benefit from the interest earned on my maternal uncle's bank account, which was transferred to me to avoid usury, and which I usually distribute to the poor, on the condition that I distribute the amount later, after two months, due to my urgent need for the money?
The forbidden usurious gains must be disposed of by spending them on the welfare of Muslims and giving them to the poor and needy. If you are a poor person in need, there is no sin upon you for taking from it according to your need, and you are not required to repay it. However, if you are not poor, you have no right to it, and if you take anything from it for yourself, you must repay its equivalent to the poor and needy. If you can withdraw the money and deposit it in an Islamic bank, then you must do so. Otherwise, you must advise your uncle about the impermissibility of depositing money in usurious banks when Islamic banks are available. If there is a necessity to deposit it in usurious banks, it should be in a current account because it is less problematic, and necessity is estimated by its extent, "But whoever is compelled, without desiring [it] or exceeding [it], there is no sin upon him."
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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