Interest and Gambling

Q: I live in a country where all systems of the government are un-islamic. Most of the time our non-Muslim counterparts enjoy all the benefits from certain policies of the government. For instance, the government set aside a multi-billion amount of money to help small, medium and large scale entrepreneurs with a single-digit interest loan, having a single-digit interest loan by a good entrepreneur is viable but for the Muslim, even less then 1% interest is haram.

Consider myself as a case study, I have a viable business idea and I spent almost a year finding a way and manner to finance it, by either interest-free loan, partnership or any Islamic accepted way but I couldn't get it. As a professional accountant I have a "masters degree in accounting and financial management". I know how to secure and manage the government loan but I doubt whether or not it is permissible in Islam when considering the above situation.

Q: In business, we sometimes suffer great losses when our debtors fail to pay us. To secure ourselves against these losses, we take out credit guarantee (CGIC).

How it works is that I tell CGIC, for example, that the general amount of money owed to me by my debtors at any given point is approximately R40 million. They will then provide me with credit cover and charge me 0.6% p/month of R40 million. When any of my debtors fails to pay me, then as soon as 90 days pass, I issue a letter of demand to the debtor and also inform CGIC. If the debt is not settled by 120 days, CGIC takes over the debt and tries to get the money from the debtor through legal means, etc. They then pay me 70-75% of the debt amount.

Because CGIC is a form of insurance, they also charge an excess i.e. they will not cover the first claim up to R200 000 per annum.

Is credit guarantee (CGIC) permissible in Islam?

Q: I asked the bank to change my account from profit and loss to current account and stop sending profit to me. They told me that they cannot and told me to make a new account, which I cannot do due some reasons. It is okay if I give the interest money to poor people?

Q: My municipality water account has run high due to unforeseen reasons. The amount is not a substantial amount. I am old and currently receiving pension. It will take me many many years to pay it off. Please advise if interest money can be used to pay it off.

Q:

1. If I borrow a certain amount of money from a person with the intention of paying back the exact amount to my lender but the money that has been lended to me is money that has been borrowed by my lender that has agreed to pay back with riba to his lender. Can I use the money knowing this?

2. If I lend a person money but the person pays back my money from borrowing from another person with riba? Can I accept?

3. If a person gives me a gift but I doubt if the gift is bought from haraam money. Can I take it?

4. I lend someone $180 but they pay back me $200 without me asking can I keep?

Q: The profit which a bank monthly offers against bonds/certificates is halaal or not? 

Q: The road accident fund agrees to pay a person involved in a motor vehicle accident R100 000 for general damages. This agreement is taken to the high court so it can be made into a court order. The court order is made on 1 january 2017 that the road accident fund will pay the person R100 000. The court order further states: "In the event of the aforesaid amount not being paid timeously, the defendant shall be liable for interest on the amount at the rate of 10.25% per annum, calculated from the 15th calendar day after the date of this order to date of payment." The road accident fund pays the amount after 6 months of the court order and therefore interest is also received on top of the R100 000.

The question is: Is this extra amount received interest according to the shariah?

Q: Woolworths offer a credit card for R69 per month. The benefits are that a person gets free delivery on all orders online.

Secondly, every purchase one makes with the card accumulates 3% cash back. Would it be permissible to use this card, not earn interest nor pay interest, but use the free delivery extensively as well as the quarterly cash back.

Q: Someone has committed fraud against me and stolen my money. I also have an account that accumalates interest which I dispose as charity. Based on what has happend, can I take the interest money an replace with the money I lost?

Q: I have both a current account as well as a savings account at the same bank. On both the accounts, the bank levies bank charges, but the savings account is interest-bearing.

In this situation, can the interest received on the savings account be used to pay the charges levied on both accounts by the bank?

If not, then to whom should the interest be given? Can it be given to non-Muslims and even to street beggars or beggars knocking on doors every week?