يُوسُف القَرَضَاوِي
Yūsuf al-Qaraḍāwī
Founding chair, European Council for Fatwa and Research
The most authoritative voice behind the famous ECFR 1999 fatwa permitting Western Muslims to use conventional mortgages for primary residence under strict ḥājah conditions. Critically: he affirmed riba's prohibition absolutely, and qualified the mortgage permission with conditions almost no contemporary borrower actually meets. Subsequently critiqued by AMJA, OIC IIFA, Mufti Taqi, and the majority of contemporary scholars.
On the core questions
4 of the 6 core questions are documented for this voice. Each carries its source.
Q1 · Is riba prohibited in Islam?
ProhibitsSource:al-Ḥalāl wa al-Ḥarām fī al-Islām
Q2 · Is conventional bank interest the same as Qurʾānic riba?
ProhibitsSource:al-Ḥalāl wa al-Ḥarām
Q3 · Is a conventional mortgage permissible by necessity (ḍarūrah) in the West?
Permits — strict conditionsFamously permitted Western Muslims to take conventional mortgages for primary residence, under strict ḥājah conditions: no halal alternative reasonably available, single dwelling for residence (not investment), borrower has exhausted alternatives. Widely critiqued by majority of contemporary scholars.
Source:ECFR Fatwa (Resolution 2/4) — Dublin, 1999· 1999
Q4 · Is contemporary Murābaḥah-based home finance permissible?
Permits — strict conditionsAccepted Murābaḥah in principle; cautioned against modern implementations that mimic interest economically.
Source:Multiple lectures; Islam Online fatwas
Positions are summarised conservatively from documented statements. A label reflects the scholar's strongest documented position; the nuance line captures the qualifiers. Verify against the cited source, and see the methodology for how these were formed.