QUESTION:

What do the scholars and muftis of the noble Shari’ah say regarding the following matter; there are many banks in the UK that give free cash for opening a bank account with them. For instance, if you transfer to TSB from any other bank, they will give you 100 pounds as free cash. Is accepting this money permissible?

Questioner: Waqas from UK

ANSWER:

بسم اللہ الرحمن الرحیم
الجواب بعون الملک الوھاب اللھم ھدایۃ الحق والصواب

As far as my knowledge goes, banks in the UK, in order to make more customers and attract account holders from other banks, woo people by offering money to account holders. When a person joins the bank, the amount is presented as a gift to the account holder. It is permissible to accept a disbeliever’s money without lying and cheating and with his consent.

It is mentioned in al-Hidaya, the famous book of the Hanafi school:

وَلِأَنَّ مَالَهُمْ مُبَاحٌ فِي دَارِهِمْ فَبِأَيِّ طَرِيقٍ أَخَذَهُ الْمُسْلِمُ أَخَذَ مَالًا مُبَاحًا إذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهِ غَدْرٌ

Translation: “It is permissible for a Muslim to take a non-Muslim’s money through any means, on condition that there is no cheating involved.” [al-Hidaya, vol. 3, pg. 66]

واللہ تعالی اعلم ورسولہ اعلم صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم
کتبہ ابو الحسن محمد قاسم ضیاء قادری

Answered by Mufti Qasim Zia al-Qadri
Translated by the SeekersPath Team

Read the original answer in Urdu here – [Q-ID0436] Banks in the UK are offering free cash if we switch to them, is it permissible to accept this money?

Also see:

[Q-ID0668] Is it permissible to take out a student loan in the UK?

[Q-ID0228] What is the Islamic ruling on taking out a Life Insurance policy in the UK?

[Q-ID0260] Is it permissible to take out a mortgage in England?

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