Paying fees on instalments

· 2 Jumada II 1436 AH1 min readFatwa 32288English

Question

I want to enrol on a course. It is a bit expensive for me to pay all up front. They have an arranged payment method. However, it costs extra with a set fee extra each month. Is it ok? It is only like £12 extra each month and it is set throughout. I mean is it allowed islamically or not? Because I heard interest is when it fluctuates, but this is set. Please could you let me know the deadline is very close?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

In principle, it is permissible to have a discounted fee for advance payments and normal fee for monthly payments. [1]

If the instalment amount of £12 is specified for every month and it will not fluctuate, then it is permissible. This is not interest. [2]

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Asim Patel

Student Darul Iftaa
Venda, South Africa

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

www.daruliftaa.net

References (Arabic / Urdu sources)

[1]

وَلَا مُسَاوَاةَ بَيْنَ النَّقْدِ، وَالنَّسِيئَةِ؛ لِأَنَّ الْعَيْنَ خَيْرٌ مِنْ الدَّيْنِ، وَالْمُعَجَّلَ أَكْثَرُ قِيمَةً مِنْ الْمُؤَجَّلِ. بدائع الصنائع في ترتيب الشرائع (187/5) دار الكتب العلمية

كَذَا إذَا قَالَ: بِعْتُكَ هَذَا الْعَبْدَ بِأَلْفِ دِرْهَمٍ إلَى سَنَةٍ أَوْ بِأَلْفٍ وَخَمْسِمِائَةٍ إلَى سَنَتَيْنِ؛ لِأَنَّ الثَّمَنَ مَجْهُولٌ، وَقِيلَ: هُوَ الشَّرْطَانِ فِي بَيْعٍ وَقَدْ رُوِيَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ -صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ «نَهَى عَنْ شَرْطَيْنِ فِي بَيْعٍ». فَإِذَا عَلِمَ وَرَضِيَ بِهِ جَازَ الْبَيْعُ؛ لِأَنَّ الْمَانِعَ مِنْ الْجَوَازِ هُوَ الْجَهَالَةُ عِنْدَ الْعَقْدِ وَقَدْ زَالَتْ فِي الْمَجْلِسِ

[2]

وكَذَا إذَا قَالَ: بِعْتُكَ هَذَا الْعَبْدَ بِأَلْفِ دِرْهَمٍ إلَى سَنَةٍ أَوْ بِأَلْفٍ وَخَمْسِمِائَةٍ إلَى سَنَتَيْنِ؛ لِأَنَّ الثَّمَنَ مَجْهُولٌ، وَقِيلَ: هُوَ الشَّرْطَانِ فِي بَيْعٍ وَقَدْ رُوِيَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - «نَهَى عَنْ شَرْطَيْنِ فِي بَيْعٍ» وَلَوْ بَاعَ شَيْئًا بِرِبْحِ ده يازده وَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ الْمُشْتَرِي رَأْسَ مَالِهِ فَالْبَيْعُ فَاسِدٌ حَتَّى يَعْلَمَ فَيَخْتَارَ أَوْ يَدَعَ هَكَذَا رَوَى ابْنُ رُسْتُمَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدٍ؛ لِأَنَّهُ إذَا لَمْ يُعْلَمْ رَأْسُ مَالِهِ كَانَ ثَمَنُهُ مَجْهُولًا وَجَهَالَةُ الثَّمَنِ تَمْنَعُ صِحَّةَ الْبَيْعِ فَإِذَا عَلِمَ وَرَضِيَ بِهِ جَازَ الْبَيْعُ؛ لِأَنَّ الْمَانِعَ مِنْ الْجَوَازِ هُوَ الْجَهَالَةُ عِنْدَ الْعَقْدِ وَقَدْ زَالَتْ فِي الْمَجْلِسِ وَلَهُ حُكْمُ حَالَةِ الْعَقْدِ فَصَارَ كَأَنَّهُ كَانَ مَعْلُومًا عِنْدَ الْعَقْدِ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَعْلَمْ بِهِ حَتَّى إذَا افْتَرَقَا تَقَرَّرَ الْفَسَادُ بدائع الصنائع في ترتيب الشرائع (158/5) دار الكتب العلمية

جديد فقهي مسائل (152/4)

فقهي مقالات (82/1)

بحوث في قضايا فقهية معاصرة (7/1)

Answered by
Asim Patel
Checked & approved by
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Questions about this ruling, answered only from the archive with sources.

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