Interest money

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?

Q: This is a follow up question on the Road Accident Fund question:  

The court orders the RAF to pay interest (which is not interest according to Shari’ah) for late payment of the R100 000. Because the RAF paid 6 months later, the plaintiff received R100 000 from the RAF plus an additional amount (over and above the R100 000) for late payment as per court order.

This ‘extra interest amount’ (which is not interest money according to the Shari’ah) which is received from the Road Accident Fund, can it be classified as ta’zeer bil maal (monetary penalty)? If it is ta’zeer bil maal then is this extra amount permissible to use?

Q: I'm currently unemployed and had to close down my business and there isn't anyone else in my household working. I have debts too pay off apart from my usual monthly expenses. A family member has offered to give me interest money. Can I accept it and if so can I use it to pay off my immediate debts like my landlord for outstanding rental on the shop I had and one other individual and if there is money left over could I can use it to try and start a small business from home in order to try and earn an income (I don't know the amount of interest money).

Q: If x person doesn't have a good income in his business and his business is going in a loss. He doesn't have any other source of income. This x person has a relative who has some money saved in a bank. The bank gave interest to x person's relative for his money in the bank. Can the relative give this interest amout to x person? 

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.