Ruling on requesting a guarantee from a riba-based bank?
Conclusion:
If you need a bank guarantee or letter of credit, let it be
issued through an Islamic bank, and it is more appropriate for you to have
money in the bank to cover the liability. The bank fee should be in return
for acting as an agent (wakaalah) and not as a guarantor (kafaalah), so the
fee should not be connected to the amount of liability or the length of the
guarantee period.
If you cannot find an Islamic bank, then there is nothing
wrong with requesting this guarantee from a riba-based bank, if you deposit
enough money to cover any liability in a current account, and the bank fee
has nothing to do with the amount of liability or the length of the
guarantee period
Dealing with riba-based banks, without getting involved in
riba, is permissible, as is depositing money in them in the case of need,
when there is no Islamic bank.
As for working in such banks, that is prohibited, even if it
is working as a security guard, because that is helping, directly or
indirectly, with riba.
And Allah knows best.
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