Q: I have accumulated an interest based debt of which I had no previous knowledge. Is it haram for me to pay off this interest or am I allowed to pay it off in order to have a ‘clean slate’ so to speak.
الجواب حامدا ومصليا ومنه الصدق والصواب
A: You should first attempt to negotiate a reduction in the debt so as to remove the interest. If this is not possible, you may pay the interest in order to avoid further interest being added.