Muslims and SFE

Salamu Alaikum all,

So I entered university in 2020 and took the loan for sfe as I didn’t think it was Haram to be honest. Everyone at school and the really religious Muslims did, and I had no idea what riba was at that stage but Alhdamdilah I am more religious this year. I come from a poor family and I have two years left of university until I become Medically qualified. I’ve spoke to a sheikh about taking tuition fees this year as I have no other means to pay and if I don’t pay I can be expelled from university with no degree after already wasting three years. The sheik said i can take the tution fee if in urgent need. I was planning to not take maintenance loans but even with my household income buying clothes, groceries, travel is not easy. I thought maybe I should take the maximum loan too, but leave it in my card and use for emergencies. For example my laptop broke last year and my phone was stolen and without maintenance loan, I wouldn’t have managed to recover that. I have a job nhs related but it doesn’t pay enough. I have a hardship bursary too but it comes later in the year and I’m grateful for it but it isn’t substantial.

For tuition based fees and the maintenance loan that supports like cost of living accommodation, as well as the money to which it can be spent on food and drink the loan is perfectly fine to take you would have to earn a exceptional amount going above the threshold in order to then therefore pay it back.

Don’t you start paying it back once you begin earning over £21k or something similar?

I think it’s £27,000 over more

Don’t worry about it, the loan is fine and virtually no one in this country could afford to pay uni themselves. And you obviously need a degree to become a doctor so you shouldn’t potentially ruin your future by dropping out due to some extremists who say any kind of loan is forbidden. SFE is necessary for pretty much everyone.

You giving out fatwas now? Please don’t give out advice that isn’t backed up by Islamic evidence.



otherwise this is just your own thoughts, unless you are our god, we don’t follow your teachings

Yes, I am giving out a fatwa, problem? And I see, you’ve been banned which means you’re precisely one of the extremist trolls I was talking about. I stand by what I said: the loan’s fine. What are you expecting, that Muslims not go to uni and end up in dead end, unskilled jobs their whole lives? That’s really what your god wants for you? Grow up and realise that a degree is pretty much essential to do well and that most people need SFE to do one.

I agree with the logic behind the take but not the attitude bud. I'll be honest, it's giving discord therapist vibes. By all means share your thoughts, but don't assert them as if they've been verified if you aren't qualified to impose them.

They have been verified: by logic and common sense.

I'm aware. But you seem to have forgotten that people don't take unsolicited advice from non-professionals, regardless of the field or whether they're merely parroting what the consensus says. I wouldn't take medical advice from someone who isn't a doctor, and neither would I take religious advice from a stranger on the internet. Good day to you.

Salamu Alaikum all,

So I entered university in 2020 and took the loan for sfe as I didn’t think it was Haram to be honest. Everyone at school and the really religious Muslims did, and I had no idea what riba was at that stage but Alhdamdilah I am more religious this year. I come from a poor family and I have two years left of university until I become Medically qualified. I’ve spoke to a sheikh about taking tuition fees this year as I have no other means to pay and if I don’t pay I can be expelled from university with no degree after already wasting three years. The sheik said i can take the tution fee if in urgent need. I was planning to not take maintenance loans but even with my household income buying clothes, groceries, travel is not easy. I thought maybe I should take the maximum loan too, but leave it in my card and use for emergencies. For example my laptop broke last year and my phone was stolen and without maintenance loan, I wouldn’t have managed to recover that. I have a job nhs related but it doesn’t pay enough. I have a hardship bursary too but it comes later in the year and I’m grateful for it but it isn’t substantial.

I don’t give a fig what you or anyone else does. This is a public thread where people can give their opinion on the matter and the OP is free to take it or leave it. And I have repeated what other Muslims themselves have said on this thread, plus, like I already stated, it’s common sense. Practically no one can afford to pay for uni themselves so taking the loan is absolutely OK and allowed.

I don't disagree with your take, but you seem intent on superimposing your opinion as a fact. I'm no pedant, but it isn't hard to slap an "in my opinion" on the end of your takes because that's fundamentally what it is. There's a reason I personally stated, that I wasn't qualified to give a solid ruling on the matter, but encouraged using your own common sense and understanding of the religious ruling. That much is expected within Islam: knowing how to extrapolate rulings in unknown contexts.

I repeat, I can give my opinion which I believe to be fact and the OP is free to accept or leave it, no one is forcing them to take anyone’s word as gospel.