A person born in a Gulf country, who does not hold its nationality, is facing problems with his group regarding paying annual residency fees and difficulty finding work. He proposes a project that involves opening an account in a usurious bank to collect donations to help those in need pay residency fees, with a promise to return the money to donors upon repentance. He cites Quranic interpretations and old fatwas regarding usury and requests a fatwa on this matter.

All praise is due to Allah, and prayers and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and companions.

It is not permissible for an ordinary Muslim to interpret religious texts and derive rulings from them without referring to scholars. One should be wary of speaking about the Qur’an based on flawed personal opinion, due to its seriousness. Regarding usury (riba), the meaning of Allah’s Almighty saying, "Those who consume usury" includes all types of usurious dealings, whether earning, spending, or saving. Therefore, opening an account in a usurious bank and taking interest to cover expenses is considered a prohibited usurious transaction that must be avoided. It is well-established that Ibn Abbas and Ibn Umar emphasized the strictness regarding Riba al-Nasi'ah (usury of delay), which is the type of usury related to banking transactions.