Salaam,
Is it impermissible for me to lend my son money knowing that it will be used to be used as a deposit on an interest based mortgage ? My son is not Muslim. I do not expect to profit financially from the loan.
Wasalam
May Allah bless you.
Lending money to people is not prohibited in Islam whether the borrower is Muslim or not.
The issue is, what if we are aware that the money will be used for haram purposes? The scholars say that you should not lend money to someone who will use it for haram purposes as this would amount to ‘aiding in sin’.
My opinion is that in this scenario of yours, it would be permissible to lend money to your son based on two things:
- your son who is not Muslim is not bound by the shariah and therefore, ‘not dealing’ with interest is not a requirement for him
- the money will be used towards the deposit to buy a house and not towards interest payment
This is why I believe it cannot be said that you are aiding him directly into committing a sin.
However, if you want to be on the cautious side and want to help your son at the time, then you could first explain to him your position. Then you agree with him that he could place the deposit on the house by saving his income for few month, and during that time you will lend him the money to cover the cost of living instead.
And Allah knows best!