Fatwa ID: 08255

Answered by: Maulana Sheik Abdel Ahaad Imrit

Question:

I got scammed in January. Now I’m getting a third of it back plus statutory interest from the bank with the help of my solicitors. The definition of statutory interest which was given to me was that it is for the inconvenience for the time I didn’t have that money. Now can I use that money (statutory interest), or am I not able to use it?

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer:

Wa ʿalaykumu s-salam wa Rahmatullahi Wabarakatuh,

A gift is something you give to someone else as a kind gesture or favor, expecting nothing back in return. In Islamic law, it means giving full ownership of something to another person without asking for payment or any kind of trade in return.

Interest in Islamic law is that one side in a deal or agreement gets something extra without having to pay for it or give anything in return, and it’s agreed upon as part of the deal.

Your situation fits the definition of a gift more than of interest, as this was not a condition you have stipulated and that they are giving it without asking any compensation.

Hence, you can use the money.

«اللباب في شرح الكتاب» (2/ 171):
«(الهبة) لغة: التبرع والتفضل بما ينفع الموهوب مطلقاً، وشرعا: تمليك عين بلا عوض،»

«الفتاوى العالمكيرية = الفتاوى الهندية» (4/ 374):
«أَمَّا تَفْسِيرُهَا شَرْعًا فَهِيَ تَمْلِيكُ عَيْنٍ بِلَا عِوَضٍ، كَذَا فِي الْكَنْزِ.»

«حاشية ابن عابدين = رد المحتار ط الحلبي» (5/ 687):
«‌‌كِتَابُ الْهِبَةِ
وَجْهُ الْمُنَاسَبَةِ ظَاهِرٌ (هِيَ) لُغَةً: التَّفَضُّلُ عَلَى الْغَيْرِ وَلَوْ غَيْرَ مَالٍ. وَشَرْعًا: (تَمْلِيكُ الْعَيْنِ مَجَّانًا) أَيْ بِلَا عِوَضٍ لَا أَنَّ عَدَمَ الْعِوَضِ شَرْطٌ فِيهِ»

Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.

Written by
Mawlana Sheik Abdel Ahaad Imrit

Checked and approved by
Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham