Arbaeen travel loan is not fair
This year, for the first time, the government has granted Arbaeen travel loans, although this work is commendable, but the appearance of the matter shows that the payment status of this loan is not fair.
There are still a few weeks left before the start of Arbaeen journeys. This year, estimates indicate that at least 7 to 8 million Tomans should be set aside for Arbaeen land travel. For this reason, the government has tried, in addition to providing currency at a lower rate, by providing travel facilities for those who are eager to visit the shrines.
The method of granting Arbaeen currency has always been one of the problems in different governments. We still remember how the government used to deliver currency to the people of Iran in Iraq a few years ago, but the 13th government has decided to provide a loan of 10 million tomans to each pilgrim provide for more pilgrims to go to Iraq for the Arbaeen pilgrimage.
What are the conditions for getting a loan of 10 million tomans?
According to the managers of the bank that pays this loan, in order to pay this loan, you have to block the amount of 2 million 500 thousand tomans in the account so that you can borrow 10 million tomans. and receives half a million Tomans in the account of this loan.
The negative point is the high interest on the loan, which some believe is not suitable for the Arbaeen pilgrimage and is a form of usury, but the legal council of the Central Bank believes that this loan does not have a Sharia problem.
Hossein Maithami, the spokesman of the Jurisprudence Council of the Central Bank, said: “Regarding some issues and ambiguities raised about how to pay the Arbaeen 1402 facilities, he stated: The banking network has entered into the financing of the Arbaeen trip, which is a valuable and significant step and should be appreciated.” be placed Some issues and ambiguities were raised about the fact that this facility is a loan, that is, banks lend 10 million tomans to the applicants on the condition that 2.5 million tomans of the loan occurs, and if the loan is conditional on a loan, it is associated with usury. But basically, this is not the case and this facility is paid in the legal form of Murabahah, which is one of the contracts approved in usury-free banking and also approved in Islamic jurisprudence. Therefore, basically, there is no suspicion of loan under the condition of loan and usury, because the basic contract used is Murabahah.
Recently, some clerics doubted the granting of this loan and said in the cyberspace: they give 10 million tomans for the Arbaeen trip, which must have 2.5 million tomans blocked, and in other words, they receive over 27% interest. It is not right that he sent people to pilgrimage with forbidden money and usurious money, it is not right to send people to pilgrimage with forbidden money. This handover does not fit in the form of farming, partnership, installment sale, I don’t know on what basis they want to pay it to the people in the form of murabaha, if they really want to support Arbaeen, they should apply the maximum 4% facility, and if they can’t, the people Do not be contaminated with this money.
Murabahah contract is not a problem, but it is not fair
The Arbaeen loan has also received appeals from authorities. In this regard, one of the followers of Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi has asked how the Arbaeen loan is Shariah. give to the pilgrim that the pilgrim buys sex from the bank as a proxy in cash, then sells the same sex to himself as a proxy from the bank in installments and at a higher price, and this is done in a serious manner, there is no problem, but for sure the 23% profit is fair is not.”
According to Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi, this loan is not usurious due to the Murabahah contract, but the high interest is not fair, as the bank is paid very good interest in a short period of time.
Payment of dinars instead of dollars
One of the positive points of this year is the offering of Arbaeen currency in dinars, while in previous years this currency was allocated in the form of dollars. In previous years, after receiving dollars from banks, the main concern of the pilgrims who received this currency was to convert it to dinars and the difference in dinar rates. It was in the free market that some people suffered losses. But this year, he paid 200,000 dinars to each pilgrim, and this amount is sufficient for traveling to Iraq during Arbaeen.
One of the negative memories during the Arbaeen trip not so long ago and during the Rouhani administration was that the currency payment was made in the 90th minute and in some cases this currency payment was made with difficulty and in inappropriate places in the country of Iraq, which caused the passengers to be offended. It was Arbaeen.
How much currency is needed for the Arbaeen trip?
Currently, according to the officials of the Aviation Organization, the return ticket from Tehran to Najaf during Arbaeen days is 8 million tomans, and the price of the bus ticket from Tehran to Mehran border terminal is 680 thousand tomans. If he spends a day in Iraq, he must choose which means of departure to Iraq, if it is a plane, at least 8 million tomans, and if he travels by bus, he must set aside at least 1 million 500 thousand tomans.
The cost of going from Mehran border to Najaf is about 10,000 to 11,000 dinars, and the cost from Najaf to Karbala is between 5,000 to 6,000 dinars. Also, the prices of hotels in Iraq are from 10 dollars and above, although usually pilgrims only pay for transportation and there is no need to use a hotel in Iraq during Arbaeen.
It seems that the government has considered a suitable loan for this trip based on its calculations and books, but this money could have been paid with a lower interest and under easier conditions. It is a good idea to start providing loans and facilities for pilgrimages, it is a good move, and it is expected that this process will continue and not be limited only to the days of Arbaeen.