Is It Permissible to Study Interest Calculations and Constitutional Law for Exams?
Question: اَلسَلامُ عَلَيْكُم I am student of general line. For government exam like railway we have answer some question at exam paper based Interest calculation only Or some time question come on indian constitution? Can we study this just give right answer to that. I believe in Islamic Shariah and we have ruled by Allaah's law. Not all question come from interest or indian constitution
Summary:
Yes, it is permissible for you to study matters related to usurious interest, constitutional provisions, and man-made laws if the purpose is to understand what may appear in the examination and answer it correctly, or to understand the reality of systems and laws, without believing in their correctness or approving of whatever contradicts the Shariah of Allah. Not everyone who studies something necessarily believes in it or approves of it. Otherwise, anyone who studies the beliefs of the Jews, Christians, or philosophers would have to be considered a believer in those beliefs, and this is false.
Answer:
First: The Difference Between Studying Something and Believing in It
A distinction must be made between two matters:
- Studying and understanding something.
- Believing in it, approving of it, and calling others to it.
A student may study usury in order to understand its ruling or how it occurs in transactions. Likewise, he may study man-made laws in order to understand their articles and regulations, without believing in their legitimacy or preferring them over the judgment of Allah, the Exalted.
The scholars of Islam studied the beliefs of various sects, religions, and ideologies and refuted them, yet this did not constitute approval of those beliefs.
Second: Studying Questions Related to Usurious Interest in Examinations
If a question appears in an examination such as:
- Calculate the amount of interest.
- What is the annual interest rate?
- What is the outcome of this transaction according to the banking system?
Then there is no harm in learning how to solve the question and provide the correct answer for the purpose of the examination.
This is because the objective is to understand the nature of the transaction and solve the required problem, not to approve of usury or consider it lawful.
Similarly, the jurists mention examples of usurious transactions in their books and explain their rulings. Knowing these matters does not mean they are permissible.
Third: Studying the Indian Constitution or Man-Made Laws
The basic principle for a Muslim is that:
- Judgment belongs to Allah alone.
- The Shariah is the most complete and most just of all laws.
From the Qur'an:
- In Surah Yousef and Surah al An`am
"Judgment belongs to none but Allah."
- Surah Al-Ma'idah: 50
"Is it the judgment of the Days of Ignorance that they seek? And who is better than Allah in judgment for a people who have certainty?"
However, there is no harm in learning the articles of a constitution or the provisions of laws for the purpose of study, examinations, or understanding the realities of the country. What is prohibited is for a person to believe that the judgment of human beings is better than the judgment of Allah, equal to it, or to be pleased with rejecting the Shariah and replacing it. Fourth: Does This Affect One's Aqidah? It does not affect one's aqidah as long as the student: -Believes that the Shariah is the truth. -Believes that judgment belongs to Allah. -Is not pleased with what contradicts the Shariah. -Studies these matters only for educational, professional, or practical purposes, or in order to understand reality. More than one scholar has been asked about studying man-made laws, and they explained that learning them for the purpose of understanding reality, refuting them, or for practical necessity is permissible. The prohibited matter is believing in their correctness or preferring them over the Shariah of Allah. Conclusion: It is permissible for you to study matters related to usurious interest, the Indian Constitution, and similar subjects if this is done for the purpose of examinations or understanding reality, while maintaining the belief that usury is prohibited, that judgment belongs to Allah, and that the Islamic Shariah is the truth. Merely learning these subjects or answering questions about them in examinations does not constitute approval of them or satisfaction with them, so long as you remain firm upon the aqidah of Islam and believe in the falsehood of whatever contradicts the Shariah of Allah.
And Allah knows best.
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