interest

Q: I am employed in the motor vehicle industry. Is it permissible to contribute towards a provident fund? The employer contributes 8% of the monthly salary, and 7,5% is deducted from my salary.

Q: I have taken out life cover to pay for estate duty and capital gains tax in my estate when I pass. I have been advised if the intention is to safeguard my wealth and my family from hardship this is permissible. please advise.

Q: Can I enter into a buy and sell agreement for my share of a business interest and fund this by way of a life policy. My family will not be able to run the business and it needs to be sold. Please advise on the possible solution, my partner will not have the cash to buy my share.

Q:

1. I have a very old debt of almost 15 years back that some of the places I have the debt with has written it off and some is still charging me interest. Am I liable to pay this interests?

2. And on the other hand a friend bought things on my account also 15 years ago and the place is still holding me accountable, however the person that bought the goods have passed away. Am I liable for this account?

Q: I am investing 10 lakh in my own company and apart from the salary, I am taking interest of 1 % month to month. I am day to day involved in the company's success. Is it jaiz?

Q: Is it permissible to collect some money as a salary in advance from the bank that I operate with so that at the end of the month they will deduct the amount that I collected from them from my salary and some extra money as charge fee.

Q: My husband works in his father’s business. His father deals in interest and sells haraam. My husband knows it is haraam but is not interested in getting another job.

Also, my husband has almost hit me. I really want to be financially independent from him. I don’t know where we will be financially in a few years’ time. I do have enough savings to study something and go out and work. Should I do this?

I have considered starting a home business, but I don’t know what kind of home business will succeed and generate income. I don’t know what to sell or where to start from.

Q: While I was studying at university (in the UK) I regrettably took out a student loan due to my lack of deen at the time, now I have come to realise that this was totally impermissible and wish to make amends.

According to the terms of the loan, I do not need to repay the loan if I earn below £17,775 per annum. The loan will be written off if I do not earn above this threshold after 25 years. I can repay the loan (plus interest) and make taubah but I feel very uncomfortable with this. My other option, which I am fully prepared to undergo, is that I continue to earn below the threshold for the next 25 years. I want to know:

1. Whether it is permissible to deliberately earn less in order to avoid paying any interest?

2. Whether I should repay the loan (through voluntary payments) but not the interest?

3. Whether I should simply repay every thing and just make taubah thereafter?

Q: I am an accounting student and have little concern with regards to the system we make our payments and possibility of any interest involved in the payments. Our payments include the examination fee payed few days before the examination session and an annual subscription fee to remain an active student.

Firstly, the examination payments can be made in three periods. The earliest the payment made, the lowest would be the payment. However, sometimes due to late examination decisions the early payment period passes by and we have to make standard payment that is higher than early payment. Is the difference between the early and standard fee considered as interest? I have heard that all penalties arising due to late payment are haram and therefore the higher amount payed as a result of not being able to pay in the early period for some reason a kind of penalty. It is also possible that the extra amount is to encourage most students to make payment as early as possible.

Second, I have heard that the annual subscription payed every year to remain an active student involves interest. Is that true? This would be a lifetime payment even after I qualify to remain an active member. Does it involve any kind of interest or penalty?