Bank benefits and Credit card reward programmes

Deriving benefit from the bank

Q: A person chooses to deposit his additional cash in the bank for safe keeping due to safety concerns. He has no intention of loaning these funds to the bank. Will these funds still be treated as a loan to the bank if he has no intention of loaning it to the bank at the time of depositing?

Income earned through leasing one's property to the bank

Q: Can you explain to me the reason why Ulamaa so severely condemn the earnings of banks? In today’s times, the majority of the wealth in banks is acquired through the deposits of people which are from halaal. Hence, if one leases out his property to a bank, the income should be halaal based on the principle that if 50% or more of one’s income is halaal and such a person has to give you a gift, you can accept it.

Using diners club lounges

Q: I have read the fatwa regarding ebucks and I am interested in finding out about Diners card. Many of our Muslim brothers have a Diners card. It is like a credit card, which they pay a yearly fee for, and the benefits are that one can use Diners club lounges in airports throughout the world. In these lounges meals etc are available as well as lounge /resting facilities etc

Cheque book, paper clips, bank packets, rubber bands etc from the bank

Q: A person pays R 450.00 fixed bank charges a month. This fee entitles him to receive a cheque book, paper clips, bank packets, rubber bands and also covers other standard bank administration services.

  1. May he use the cheque book, money packets, paper clips etc if the value does not exceed the R450.00 bank charges he paid.
  2. If the value of these items exceed R450.00 p.m , may he utilise these items?