Aslam

Praise be to Allah.

Riba (usury, interest) is one of the things that are

definitively forbidden in Islamic sharee’ah.

1 – Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Allaah has permitted trading and forbidden Ribaa. So

whosoever receives an admonition from his Lord and stops eating Ribaa, shall

not be punished for the past; his case is for Allaah (to judge); but whoever

returns (to Ribaa), such are the dwellers of the Fire — they will abide

therein”

[al-Baqarah 2:275]

2 – And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“O you who believe! Fear Allaah and give up what remains

(due to you) from Ribaa (from now onward) if you are (really) believers”

[al-Baqarah 2:278]

3 – It was narrated that ‘Awn ibn Abi Juhayfah said: “I saw

my father buying a slave whose profession was cupping, and he ordered that

his tools be broken. I asked him about that and he said that the Messenger

of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade the price

of blood, the price of a dog and the earnings of a prostitute; he cursed the

woman who does tattooing and the one who asks for it to be done, and the one

who consumes riba and the one who pays it, and he cursed the one who makes

images.”

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2123).

It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be

pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of

Allaah be upon him) cursed those who consume riba and those who pay it.

(Narrated by Muslim, 1597).

4 – It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased

with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)

said: “”Avoid the seven things that doom a person to Hell.” They said, “O

Messenger of Allaah, what are they?” He said, “Associating others with

Allaah (shirk); witchcraft (sihr); killing a soul whom Allaah has forbidden

to kill, except for a lawful reason; consuming riba; consuming the property

of orphans; fleeing from the battlefield; and slandering chaste and innocent

believing women.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2615; Muslim, 89).

5 – It was narrated that Samurah ibn Jundub said: The Prophet

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Tonight I saw (in a

dream) two men who came to me and took me out to a holy land. We went on

until we came to a river of blood, in which a man was standing, and on the

riverbank there was a man with stones in front of him. The man who was in

the river came forward, and when he wanted to climb out, the other man threw

a stone in his mouth and sent him back to where he came from. He did that

every time the man wanted to come out, throwing a stone into his mouth to

make him go back. I said, ‘What is this?’ They said, ‘The one who you saw in

the river is the one who consumed riba.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1979)

There is unanimous agreement (among the scholars) that riba

is haraam, and credit cards come under the heading of riba. See questions

no. 11179 and

5540.

Hence we do not think that we can offer the questioner any

better advice than the advice of the Prophet (peace and blessings of

Allaah be upon him), which is to fast so that he can calm himself down and

to get used to worship, and to make it difficult for the Shaytaan to find

any way to influence him.

It was narrated that Ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with

him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said

to us: “O young men, whoever among you can afford to get married, let him do

so, and whoever cannot do that, then let him fast, for it will be a shield

for him.”

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4778; Muslim, 1400)

A shield means that it will protect him from falling into

sin.

See also questions no.

590,

665,

3402

And Allaah knows best.