Question Summary:
My question is regarding a credit card. Now this is a type of a credit card which gives you dividend back. How this works is that…2. Another question is that is this sunnah that if you drop any bread or food than you should pick it up, clean the dust off and say Bismillah and eat it.

Question Detail:

My question is regarding a credit card. Now this is a type of a credit card which gives you dividend back. How this works is that the more you use your credit card to purchase things the more dividend you get ,which in most cases is 2% of your entire purchase amount. So for example if you purchase $100 worth of merchandise you will get $2 at the end of the month. Now the incentive for me is to use this credit card more and more and the incentive for the credit card company is that just in case i am not able to pay off my balance they will charge me a high rate of premium. Now Alhamdulilallah in the last three years i have not missed a single payment and i pay off my whole balance at the end of the month and at the same time i recieve the dividends also. Now my questions are.

1. Is this permissible under islam?
2. If this is not permissible than what should i do about the checks i already earned as my dividends and spend them. I mean they must have send me like $200 in the last 2-3 years or so. Do i have to give away the same amount in charity or something?
3. If this is not permissible for me to take , can i keep on using the same card and whatever dividends i earn i give it away as a charity?
Another question is that is this sunnah that if you drop any bread or food than you should pick it up, clean the dust off and say Bismillah and eat it. I mean the place i work at is a workshop and its stays pretty dirty and people walk around with the same shoes they use for bathroom and everything. In summary its very dirty. If i drop something, should i still pick it up and eat it? or am i excused from it?

Answer :

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatoh
1.      The 2% is regarded to be a gift and is permissible.
2.      If the morsel is as dirty as explained by yourself, you do not have to pick it up and eat it.
And Allah knows best
Wassalam
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In'aamiyyah