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Is it permissible for a notary public to authenticate usurious loan contracts if refusing to do so would expose him to suspension or dismissal from his governmental position?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

It is not permissible for a notary to notarize a usurious contract, as this constitutes participation in sin and aggression, and exposes one to the curse mentioned in the Hadith: "Allah has cursed the one who consumes Riba (usury), the one who feeds it, its scribe, and its two witnesses," and he added, "they are all equal." Whoever abandons something for the sake of Allah, Allah will compensate him with something better. Sustenance is apportioned, and what is with Allah can only be attained through obedience to Him. An exception is made for someone in dire necessity, compelled to remain in the job until he finds another.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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