The point is that we are in the midst of a military system in which we are made completely helpless and we simply cannot avoid that involvement altogether. Some involvements we can avoid, some we simply cannot. So those which we can avoid should be avoided. Again it’s an individual issue and sometimes some people are more firm in their principles and in their conduct as well. They think things are avoidable while some other people in the same situation think that there are other avoidable for them. So in such circumstances it is always best not to ask too many questions.
Otherwise the life would become very difficult and every MP is not of the same standard that he can keep to the same strict rules and regulations. So let it be a loosely arranged affair where some play is given to individual decision. But those situations which are very clear and clearly laid down, that should be kept in mind and such situations should always be strictly avoided. For instance, Hazrat Masih Maud A.S. has made it categorical, stated it categorically that if you deposit your money in a bank and you get something as interest out of that, then that interest is totally forbidden for you for personal use. The only usage you can put it through is to divert it to the channel of public Islam, return it to God as Hazrat Masih Maud A.S. has put it.
Things are forbidden for human beings, not for God because he is the ultimate owner of everything. So he has put it beautifully that you return it to Allah and the best way to return it to Allah is to return it to his face which represents Allah. So if that money is spent in the cause of Allah, there is no how. Otherwise it will go waste. Waste is bad in that sense. But for the personal use of any human being, it is totally forbidden. So those who keep those interests in the name of prophets are in fact shutting their eyes to a very clear injunction in which they were given no play, no choice and they are acting criminally in that respect. And when you give that money to the community for instance to be put into the service of Islam, you cannot treat it as your chanda either.
It is something which doesn’t belong to you. If you give it as chanda, then it is belonging to you. It should be treated as if it never was yours and can never be yours because it was nobody’s property. So it should return to the rightful owner of everything, that is God. Yet there is a possibility of enemies being involved in a situation where they have to trade through banks and those trading channels are unavoidable. For instance, international trading. It is impossible to go about trading internationally without the involvement of banks, without going through the channels of banks. So that situation is also very clear, unavoidable. In between there are things which are on the borderline. Yet Hazrat Musleh Maud A.S. has suggested a way of meeting certain situations.
For instance, at one place he mentions that if you are forced to pay interest to the bank, if you keep a separate account of that interest and when you are given some interest on the money you have deposited, then you can deduct that against the other. So if the ultimate value can be reached as zero, it is well and good. To that extent your interest can be spent for your own cause, but in fact it could be against the interest you had given, so it should be treated differently in a different light.
So to that extent you are permitted. Beyond that, as I said, there are so many shadowy things. I should not like people to inquire about it because the Holy Quran gives us the principle, Don’t cultivate the habit of asking too many questions because if you ask a question and the answer is given to you, then it may be too difficult for you to follow. You may not like the answer. And while the Holy Quran is being revealed, it goes on to say, to clarify further, that if you put any question to the Prophet, that may be answered.
So a warning is given. Under the same principle, you should conduct your habits, but don’t intentionally avoid questions when you know the answer. That is a different situation. I must clarify it because somebody may misunderstand me and find an excuse for committing evils. The fact is that those things which are bothering your conscience, are biting your conscience, they don’t fall into this category. For them, Allah has made a very clear rule, which has been told to us by our Prophet. And that rule is, that which bothers you, puts you into doubt about which you are suspicious.
Everything of which you are suspicious, and you yourself are inclined to believe that there is some harm in it, leave that. To that of which you sustain no suspicion, of which you entertain no suspicion, that is the general safe rule.
