13th August 2026
السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته
Question: I will be using a credit card to fund my trip for Umrah. I will be doing a balance transfer from my credit card to my bank account and then paying the party responsible for organising everything. I will have to pay 3-5% of the amount being transferred into my account. My questions are as follows: Is paying the balance transfer permissible? Is using a credit card to fund my Umrah trip, permissible? I have every intention of paying everything back before interest starts kicking in. If the answer to the above question it is not permissible, will the Umrah itself still be valid, and not makrūh?
الجواب حامداً و مصلياً
In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer
A balance transfer fee is the amount charged for transferring funds out of a credit card. It is a percentage of the loan you are transferring. A balance transfer fee is classified as a valid service charge, and therefore, it is permissible. In this case, the service charge is a one-off fee and does not generate profit on the actual loan, so it is not classed as interest.[i]
If you want to use a credit card to fund your Umrah trip, it is permissible provided you pay the balance before interest accrues. In the case that you are not able to pay everything back before interest charges start, your ‘Umrah will still be valid; however, you will be sinful for entering into the ribā-based contract and transaction. One important point to note is that it is not obligatory to complete ‘Umrah (although it is a highly emphasised sunnah), particularly when one does not have the financial ability to do so. Therefore, one should not engage in doubtful and impermissible transactions to fulfil ‘Umrah.[ii]
[Allāh Knows Best]
Written by: Apa Zakiya Saeeda Reviewed by: Mufti Abdul Waheed
Attested by: Shaykh Mufti Saiful Islam
JKN Fatawa Department
[i] Badā’i us Sanā’i, Kitāb ul Qardh, Vol. 7, Page 395
(وَأَمَّا) الَّذِي يَرْجِعُ إلَى نَفْسِ الْقَرْضِ: فَهُوَ أَنْ لَا يَكُونَ فِيهِ جَرُّ مَنْفَعَةٍ، فَإِنْ كَانَ لَمْ يَجُزْ، نَحْوُ مَا إذَا أَقْرَضَهُ دَرَاهِمَ غَلَّةٍ، عَلَى أَنْ يَرُدَّ عَلَيْهِ صِحَاحًا، أَوْ أَقْرَضَهُ وَشَرَطَ شَرْطًا لَهُ فِيهِ مَنْفَعَةٌ؛ لِمَا رُوِيَ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – أَنَّهُ «نَهَى عَنْ قَرْضٍ جَرَّ نَفْعًا» ؛ وَلِأَنَّ الزِّيَادَةَ الْمَشْرُوطَةَ تُشْبِهُ الرِّبَا؛ لِأَنَّهَا فَضْلٌ لَا يُقَابِلُهُ عِوَضٌ، وَالتَّحَرُّزُ عَنْ حَقِيقَةِ الرِّبَا، وَعَنْ شُبْهَةِ الرِّبَا وَاجِبٌ هَذَا إذَا كَانَتْ الزِّيَادَةُ مَشْرُوطَةً فِي الْقَرْضِ،
Hashiyah ibn ‘Ābidīn, Fasl fil Qardh, Vol. 5, Page 166
مَطْلَبٌ كُلُّ قَرْضٍ جَرَّ نَفْعًا حَرَام
(قَوْلُهُ كُلُّ قَرْضٍ جَرَّ نَفْعًا حَرَامٌ) أَيْ إذَا كَانَ مَشْرُوطًا كَمَا عُلِمَ مِمَّا نَقَلَهُ عَنْ الْبَحْرِ، وَعَنْ الْخُلَاصَةِ وَفِي الذَّخِيرَةِ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ النَّفْعُ مَشْرُوطًا فِي الْقَرْضِ، فَعَلَى قَوْلِ الْكَرْخِيِّ لَا بَأْسَ بِهِ وَيَأْتِي تَمَامُهُ (قَوْلُهُ فَكُرِهَ لِلْمُرْتَهِنِ إلَخْ) الَّذِي فِي رَهْنِ الْأَشْبَاهِ يُكْرَهُ لِلْمُرْتَهِنِ الِانْتِفَاعُ بِالرَّهْنِ إلَّا بِإِذْنِ الرَّاهِنِ اهـ سَائِحَانِيٌّ.
[ii] Hāshiyah ibn ‘Ābidīn, Kitāb al-Hajj, Matlab fī Man Hajja bil Harām, Vol. 2, Page 456
مَطْلَبٌ فِيمَنْ حَجّ بِمَالٍ حَرَامٍ
(قَوْلُهُ كَالْحَجِّ بِمَالٍ حَرَامٍ) كَذَا فِي الْبَحْرِ وَالْأَوْلَى التَّمْثِيلُ بِالْحَجِّ رِيَاءً وَسُمْعَةً، فَقَدْ يُقَالُ إنَّ الْحَجَّ نَفْسَهُ الَّذِي هُوَ زِيَارَةُ مَكَان مَخْصُوصٍ إلَخْ لَيْسَ حَرَامًا بَلْ الْحَرَامُ هُوَ إنْفَاقُ الْمَالِ الْحَرَامِ، وَلَا تَلَازُمَ بَيْنَهُمَا، كَمَا أَنَّ الصَّلَاةَ فِي الْأَرْضِ الْمَغْصُوبَةِ تَقَعُ فَرْضًا، وَإِنَّمَا الْحَرَامُ شَغْلُ الْمَكَانِ الْمَغْصُوبِ لَا مِنْ حَيْثُ كَوْنُ الْفِعْلِ صَلَاةً لِأَنَّ الْفَرْضَ لَا يُمْكِنُ اتِّصَافُهُ بِالْحُرْمَةِ، وَهُنَا كَذَلِكَ فَإِنَّ الْحَجَّ فِي نَفْسِهِ مَأْمُورٌ بِهِ، وَإِنَّمَا يَحْرُمُ مِنْ حَيْثُ الْإِنْفَاقُ، وَكَأَنَّهُ أَطْلَقَ عَلَيْهِ الْحُرْمَةَ لِأَنَّ لِلْمَالِ دَخْلًا فِيهِ، فَإِنَّ الْحَجَّ عِبَادَةٌ مُرَكَّبَةٌ مِنْ عَمَل الْبَدَنِ وَالْمَالِ كَمَا قَدَّمْنَاهُ، وَلِذَا قَالَ فِي الْبَحْرِ وَيَجْتَهِدُ فِي تَحْصِيلِ نَفَقَةٍ حَلَالٍ، فَإِنَّهُ لَا يُقْبَلُ بِالنَّفَقَةِ الْحَرَامِ كَمَا وَرَدَ فِي الْحَدِيثِ، مَعَ أَنَّهُ يَسْقُطُ الْفَرْضُ عَنْهُ مَعَهَا وَلَا تَنَافِي بَيْنَ سُقُوطِهِ، وَعَدَمِ قَبُولِهِ فَلَا يُثَابُ لِعَدَمِ الْقَبُولِ، وَلَا يُعَاقَبُ عِقَابَ تَارِكِ الْحَجِّ. اهـ.




