In this day and age where all areas have progressed, ways of business have also developed and expanded. Entrepreneurship has found newer and more modern ways of success. For example, a client had to step into the bank for the smallest of transactions or information. Internet took over and slowly many activities could be carried out online by simply logging into the banking system.
Today we live in the cell phone era, which allows us to conduct transactions and obtain information through the ease of mobile banking. There are many companies that offer remittance services. One of the most popular ones include ‘EasyPaisa,’ ‘Jazz Cash’ and other related types of services.
Mobile Banking Offers:
The way these offers work is that the user deposits cash in the services’ accounts. Then through various applications, the user is able to shop and pay for the purchased item. This is very similar to how we deposit money in our bank and then use it to pay for the shopped goods. There is no harm in using such services. In fact, such services actually make life easy and convenient.
One question that frequently arise which creates doubts in minds of many is regarding deals and offers of EasyPaisa and JazzCash. One such offer states that: ‘If you deposit money in your EasyPaisa or JazzCash account, you will also get the same amount recharged to your mobile balance.’
The Reality of this Offer:
What needs to be understood and clarified here is that shopping through EasyPaisa or JazzCash or remittance deposit is actually a way of mobile banking. When we deposit money into our accounts, that money belongs to us and is in a way an obligation for the bank to pay us back.
There is a principle in the Shari’ah that scholars have explained in the following manner is worth mentioning here:
كلُّ قرْضٍ جَرَّ نفعًا فهو رِبًا
“Every loan, which leads to a benefit, is usury.”
Hence, if we use any such application where we deposit money into our accounts and as a result of this deposit we get a reward or some other form of benefit, then it is not permissible for us to use that offer. What we gained as a result of the deposit is something that is extra. We can only use the deposited money that we have in our accounts through the services of EasyPaisa or JazzCash.
When we use their application and win something as a consequence, then this matter becomes very similar to that of the savings account where the depositor continues to gain from his/her deposit a monthly gain with a specified amount. The original amount stays in the bank and is built upon. Similarly, EasyPaisa or JazzCash also say that if you keep such and such amount in your account, you will continue to have an ‘x’ amount of balance. The analogy is the same as that of the ruling for keeping a savings account in a bank.
Conclusion:
The conclusion that can be drawn from the above argument is that to avail of any reward, benefit or any other gain from a deposit is not permissible from a Shari’ah standpoint.
We pray to Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) that He gives us the ability to only adopt what is halal (permissible) and allow us to abstain from the haram (forbidden). Aameen.
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