Selling Customer Receivables to a Bank

· 29 Jumada II 1432 AH1 min readFatwa 19278English
Finance and Commerce

Question

Suppose I have 1 million in Receivables which are outstanding from various customers. The customers have agreed to pay in Installments in 2-3 yrs. Unfortunately 2-3 yrs is a long time and I need the cash immediately. I approach a Bank and the Bank agrees that it is willing to “buy” the Customer Receivables .The Bank says that it will deduct 8% on the Customer Receivables i.e 80,000$ and pay me the rest 9,20,000 $ in cash immediately. In turn I will collect 1 million which is outstanding from customers and pay it back in installments as the customer pay’s in 1-2 yrs time. Is is Halal?

Answer

Assalāmu `alaikum Warahmatullāhi Wabrakatuh,

The issue in reference has two different dealings

a) Debtor owing you $1,000,000.

b) Loan from the Bank

Effectively, The Bank is advancing you a loan of $9,200,000 at 8% interest rate. You will have to repay the Bank $1,000,000. This is a loan with interest.

It does not make a difference if The Bank terms this deal as buying the receivables outstanding. The end result is the same – A loan based on interest.

And Allah Ta'āla Knows Best,

Muftī Ebrahim Desai

Daruliftaa

35 Candella Rd, Durban, South Africa

www.daruliftaa.net

Answered by
Muftī Ebrahim Desai
Ask AskImam

Fatawa SA is an independent, read-only index of fatawa already published by Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah (AskImam). It is not a fatwa service. For your own situation, ask the issuing Darul Ifta directly.