Salam, I'm a 19 year old canadian and a few days ago I was kind of pressured into getting a credit card. He said I'll have to start building my credit for my life ahead, mentioning not being able to rent or get housing without a credit score among other things. Since he mentioned that, I'm in a dilemma as to of I should start building credit for my future needs and emergencies or cancel it. Do you have any advise on what I should do about this?
Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah,
You can use the credit card to build credit. As long as you make sure to pay off the balance before the next statement date, you will not be charged interest, therefore no usury will be involved. Due to the way the banking system works, whether you use a credit or debit card, you are always involved in some sort of usurious transaction. For example, depositing money in a bank allows the bank to lend it at interest to another customer.
You may also use it for emergencies when you are truly desperate.
Reference on the permissibility of using interest-bearing debt for emergencies:
- Fatwa from the Qatari Fatwa Authority (Arabic PDF)