Question 542: Can banking interest (riba) be spent on good causes, such as ceremonies for the Nudbah supplication, charity, and the like?

Answer
✅Answer: Please pay attention to the following narrations:
1 عَنْ زُرَارَةَ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَر فِي قَوْلِ اللَّهِ وَ لا تَيَمَّمُوا الْخَبِيثَ مِنْهُ تُنْفِقُونَ [سوره بقره آیه۲۶۷ ] قَالَ كَانَتْ بَقَايَا فِي أَمْوَالِ النَّاسِ أَصَابُوهَا مِنَ الرِّبَا وَ مِنَ الْمَكَاسِبِ الْخَبِيثَةِ قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ فَكَانَ أَحَدُهُمْ يَتَيَمَّمُهَا فَيُنْفِقُهَا وَ يَتَصَدَّقُ بِهَا فَنَهَاهُمُ اللَّهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ.
📚 Tafsir al-'Ayyashi, Vol. 1, p. 149
Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said regarding the saying of Allah the Exalted, 'And do not intend to spend from that which is impure and vile,' that (in the early days of Islam) among the remnants of people's wealth were properties that they had acquired from usury and vile earnings, and one of them would go to it and spend it and give it as charity, so Allah forbade them from this act!
2 مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ قَالَ: قَالَ الصَّادِقُ لَوْ أَنَّ النَّاسَ أَخَذُوا مَا أَمَرَهُمُ اللَّهُ بِهِ فَأَنْفَقُوهُ فِيمَا نَهَاهُمْ عَنْهُ مَا قَبِلَهُ مِنْهُمْ وَ لَوْ أَخَذُوا مَا نَهَاهُمُ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ فَأَنْفَقُوهُ فِيمَا أَمَرَهُمُ اللَّهُ بِهِ مَا قَبِلَهُ مِنْهُمْ حَتَّى يَأْخُذُوهُ مِنْ حَقٍّ وَ يُنْفِقُوهُ فِي حَقٍّ.
📚 Al-Faqih, Vol. 2, p. 57
Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: 'Indeed, if people take what Allah has commanded them to take (i.e., lawful property) and spend it in a place that Allah has forbidden, He will not accept it from them. And if they take what He has forbidden them from (i.e., unlawful property) and spend it in a place that He has commanded them to, He will not accept it from them until they take from a rightful place and spend in a rightful place!'
3 عَنْ أَبَانِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ الْأَحْمَرِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّه قَالَ: أَرْبَعٌ لَا يَجُزْنَ فِي أَرْبَعٍ الْخِيَانَةُ وَ الْغُلُولُ وَ السَّرِقَةُ وَ الرِّبَا لَا يَجُزْنَ فِي حَجٍّ وَ لَا عُمْرَةٍ وَ لَا جِهَادٍ وَ لَا صَدَقَةٍ.
📚 Al-Khisal, p. 216
Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: 'Four things are not permissible in four things: property from treachery, stolen property from war spoils before distribution, and stolen property and usury, are not permissible, neither in Hajj, nor in Umrah, nor in Jihad, nor in charity!'
4 عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَمَّنْ ذَكَرَهُ عَنْ دَاوُدَ الصَّرْمِيِّ قَالَ: قَالَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ يَا دَاوُدُ إِنَّ الْحَرَامَ لَا يَنْمِي وَ إِنْ نَمَى لَمْ يُبَارَكْ لَهُ فِيهِ وَ مَا أَنْفَقَهُ لَمْ يُؤْجَرْ عَلَيْهِ وَ مَا خَلَّفَهُ كَانَ زَادَهُ إِلَى النَّارِ.
📚Al-Kafi, Vol. 5, p. 125
Imam Abul Hasan (peace be upon him) said to Dawud al-Sarmi: 'O Dawud! Indeed, what is forbidden does not grow, and if it grows, it is not blessed, and what is spent from it is not rewarded, and what is left behind after him is his provision for the fire of Hell!'
✅Based on the above narrations and others, a person who has accumulated wealth from usury, despite knowing it is forbidden, is not permitted to spend it even on good causes, and it will not be accepted from him. He must spend from his lawful wealth for good deeds so that they are accepted.
Charity from banking interest
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ
وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْرَ
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
🌺🌺🌺
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِی جَعَلَنَا مِنَ الْمُتَمَسِّکِینَ بِوِلاَیَةِ أَمِیرِ الْمُؤْمِنِینَ وَ الْأَئِمَّةِ عَلَیْهِمُ السَّلاَمُ
We extend our congratulations and felicitations on the great Eid of Ghadir to the awaited Imam, may Allah hasten his reappearance,
and to all the Shias and lovers of Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him).
🌺🌺🌺
O Allah, hasten the reappearance of your representative, and grant him health and victory.