Interest money

Q: I would like to query the issue below:

I am part of a body corporate of a complex based. The body corporate has been in place for about +/- 12 years and it has been run by the Muslim men of the complex. The complex comprises of various owners, Muslim and non-Muslim.

We have recently moved our banking over to FNB Islamic banking. Prior to this, we have accumulated an amount of +/- R22 000 interest money which we had kept aside after the move to Islamic banking. The body corporate is non-profit and we only act in the best interest and upkeep of the complex.

We as the body corporate would like to query if it is permissible or not to use this interest money as this money belongs to the complex which comprises of Muslim and non Muslim owners. We as the body corporate are held liable for the money of the complex.

The investment account which the interest was accumulated from was only opened as this is a law according to the CSOS act which is government regulated.

Please advise the correct manner/s in which this interest money should be dealt as we would like to make the correct decision going forward.

Q: Person A gives person B his interest money declaring it as such. Person B gives person C the money declaring it as such, appointing person C a representative of the poor. Asks person C to dispose of the money. Is it jaaiz for person C to use the money for person D children school fees without declaring it as interest?

Q: What to do with interest money?

Q: Can interest money be used to pay tax (SARS)? What else can interest money be used for, payment of fines? 

Q: I got a NRI bank account which is a savings account and every quarterly I receive some interest from the bank. Is it permissible for me to use this interest amount in purchasing car insurance or any other insurance like medical, home insurance, etc.?

Q: Can you please explain to me in simple words what is Riba?

Q: What do we do with interest money? Can we pay our helper at home in the form of wages? 

Q: Is it permissible to pay a fixed monthly fee for a credit facility on a credit card? The fee is payable whether or not the credit facility is used. No interest will be incurred on the credit facility.

Q: If a person stays in a complex where they have an insurance policy, and every month a portion of the levies go towards that insurance, can he pay that portion with interest/doubtful money? He has already expressed his disapproval of the insurance, but since its a big complex his views are the minority.

Q: In Indian Law the Honourable Court allows ex-wife to file maintenance cases after divorce from ex-husband of any religion if they want. I gave Talaq Ahsan to my ex-wife and relieved her from matrimonial bonds after reconciliation failed between us. I had handed over the Mahr money to her. Now Talaq Ahsan is completed. My ex-wife took all her belongings from matrimonial home.

Now my ex-wife filed a case in the court for maintenance, the Hon'ble court has passed Rs 10 000/- per month as part of maintenance. I am working as a sales executive and my salary is Rs 10 000/-, it is not possible for me to fulfill the court order based on my income as I have to bear my expenses too from the same salary. I will have to fulfill the Hon'ble court order in order to avoid jail term over non-payment.

I have approached many trust and some people for help to fulfill this order. The trust and people informed me that they can help to some extent not completely but it will be in a way of zakaat and some people said that they will hand me bank interest money. Can you please provide your views with respect to Islamic Law if this is correct to collect zakaat and bank interest money on behalf of my ex-wife to avoid consequences of jail?