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Is it permissible to open a new bank account with 5% usurious interest, knowing that the money will be disbursed to the needy and that it is available for withdrawal at any time?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

A Muslim is not permitted to open an account in an interest-based (usurious) bank, except in cases of extreme necessity, because usury (riba) is a major sin. It is not permissible to open an account under the pretext of spending the profits on the poor. If one is compelled to open an account, it should be a current account that accrues no interest. If only a savings account is available, it is permissible, but only to the extent of the necessity, without opening other accounts.

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

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