Have paid interest, does it need to be paid as charity?

Everyday Islamic Finance Personal and Family Finance
#1

Assalamu alaykum,
I’ve previously paid interest for insurance purposes but only recently found out that this was wrong and have now stopped doing it.

I know that in Islam, if you receive interest eg from a bank, then you can give it in charity. Is this the same for when you pay interest to someone else too? Or is this bi’dah?

JazakhaAllah Khayr

#2

Wasalam

May Allah bless you.
If you have paid interest, then you do not need to give anything into charity. Asking God for forgiveness is enough inshAllah.

However, maybe the interest you have paid on the insurance is not interest at all from a shariah perspective. For example when one choses to pay the car insurance by monthly instalments, the suppose interest amount that gets added as oppose to the annual payment, is not really interest in my understanding.

And Allah knows best!