Question
I have recently come across a company called ____fin – offering medical finance. As a dental professional, they offer the option for my patients to pay for treatment via a small loan. After the patient receives a quote from me, they can then contact ____fin, who will the pay me directly. The patients will then pay the loan back to ____fin as per their contractual agreement. This does make the patient liable to pay interest to the company.
Even though I am not directly receiving interest, the fact that it IS there in the transaction has made me question whether this is acceptable from an Islamic perspective. I have seen a lot of muslim medical practitioners advertise the provision of this service, but I am very doubtful, to say the least.
Kindly assist is providing a better perspective on this issue.
Answer
You as a practitioner are not permitted to advertise on behalf of ____fin or promote their services as promoting an interest bearing loan on their behalf is tantamount to assisting in the disobedience of Allah Ta’aala whereas the Quraan Sharif categorically states “And do assist each other in sin and transgression.” [Surah Maa’idah verse.2]
However, if after receiving a quotation from you, the patient directly contacts ____fin (without being informed about them or referred to them by you) and the patient then secures a loan for the required treatment then this will be considered as an independent matter between the patient and the loan company. It will thus be acceptable for you as the practitioner to receive payment directly from ____fin with the proviso that you were in no way instrumental in assisting the patient in securing such a loan; and it is unknown whether the funds loaned by ____fin to the client is from Halaal or Haraam sources. If it known with certainty that the funds loaned to the client by ____fin is purely from Haraam sources (such as interest funds only) then accepting such funds will not be permitted by you as a Muslim practitioner.
جس پیسہ کے متعلق قطعی طور پر علم ہو کہ یہ حرام ہے اس کے عوض کوئی شیء فروخت کرنا اور وہ پیسہ حاصل کرنا درست نہیں ۔ جہاں علم نہ ہو وہاں کنجائش ہے – فتاوی محمودیہ ص۲۷۳ ج۱۱ کتب خانہ مظہری و جواہر الفتاوی ۲۹۴ ج۳
Checked and Approved By:
Mufti Muhammed Saeed Motara Saheb D.B.