Indexed OCR Text

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Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 275 - 281
Presented in this verse is the great reward and excellence of those
who are used to spending in the way of Allah. They are those who,
under all conditions and circumstances, during the day and during the
night, secretly and openly, keep spending in the way of Allah in all
sorts of ways. By implication, it was also stated that there is no time
fixed for charities, i.e., sadaqah and khayrat. There is no restriction of
night or day. Similarly, spending in the way of Allah, secretly and
openly, is an act of thawab both ways, however, the condition is that it
should be done with sincerity (ikhlas), and not to earn name and fame.
The excellence of spending secretly is limited to a situation where
there be no pressing need to spend out openly; and where such a need
does exist, spending there openly is certainly better.
Based on the authority of Ibn 'Asakir, there is a report in Ruh
al-Ma'ani which says that Sayyidna Abu Bakr as dlgs, spent forty
thousand dinars in the way of Allah - making it ten thousand during
the day, ten thousand during the night, ten thousand openly and ten
thousand secretly. Some commentators have said that this very event
related to Sayyidna Abu Bakr as Ulo, was the background of the
revelation of this verse. There are other views also regarding the
circumstances of its revelation.
Verses 275 - 281
الَّذِيْنَ يَأْكُلُونَ الرِّبُوا لَا يَقُوُمُونَ إِلَّ كَمَا يَقُوُمُ الَّذِىُ يَتَخَبَّطُهُ
الشَّيْطُنُّ مِنَ الْمَسُِّ ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُؤًا إِنَّمَا الْبَبْعُ مِثْلُ الرِّبُواء
وَأَحَلَّ اللهُ الْبَيْعَ وَ حَمَ الِرّبُواءِ فَمَنْ جَاءَةً مَوْعِظَةٌ مِنْ تَّبِّهِ
فَانْتَهَى فَلَهْ مَاسَلَفَ « وَأَمْرُةً إِلَى اللَّهِ وَمَنْ عَادَ فَأُولَئِكَ
أَصُحُبُ التَّارِهُمْ فِيُّهَا خْلِدُوْنَ ا يَمُحَقُ اللّهُ الرِّبُوا وَتْرْبِى
الصَّدَقْتِ وَاللّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ كَفَّارِ اَئِيْ ) إِنَّ أَّذِيْنَ أَمَنُوْا
وَعَمِلُوا الصَّلِحْتِ وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلْوَةَ وَتُوا الَّكُوةَ لَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمُ
عِنْدَرَبِّهِمْ ءَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُوْنَ · يَآَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ
أُمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللّهَ وَذَرُوا مَا بَقِىَ مِنَ الرُِّوا إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُؤْ مِنِينَ)
وقف لازم

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Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 275 - 281
فَإِنُ لَّمْ تَفْعَلُوْا فَأْذَنُوْا بِحَرْبٍ ◌ِنَ اللهِ وَرَسُوْلِهٌ وَإِنْ تُبْتُمُ
فَلَكُمْ رُوْسُ أَمْوَالِكُمْلَا تَظُلِّمُوْنَ وَلَا تُظْلَمُوْنَ ا وَإِنْ كَانَ
ذُوُعُسْرَةٍ فَنَظِرَةٌ إِلى مَيْسَرَةٍ* وَأَنْ تَصَدَّقُوا خَيْرٌ لَّكُمُ إِنْ كُنْتُمُ
تَعْلَمُوْنَ ا وَاتَّقُوا يَوْمًا تُرُجَعُوْنَ فِيْهِ إِلَى اللَّهُ ثُمَّ تُوَقَى كُلُّ
نَفْسٍ مَّاكَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُوْنَ 0
Those who take riba (usury or interest) will not stand
but as stands the one whom the demon has driven
crazy by his touch. That is because they have said:
"Trading is but like riba." And Allah has permitted
trading, and prohibited riba. So, whoever receives an
advice from his Lord and stops, he is allowed what has
passed, and his matter is upto Allah. And the ones who
revert back, those are the people of Fire. There they
remain for ever.
Allah destroys riba and nourishes charities. And Allah
does not like any sinful disbeliever. Surely those who
believe and do good deeds, establish Salah and Zakah
have their reward with their Lord, and there is no fear
for them, nor shall they grieve.
O those who believe, fear Allah and give up what still
remains of the 'riba' if you are believers. But if you do
not, then listen to the declaration of war from Allah
and His Messenger. And if you repent, yours is your
principal. Neither you wrong, nor be wronged.
And if there be one in misery, then deferment till ease.
And that you leave it as alms is far better for you, if you
really know. And be fearful of a day when you shall be
returned to Allah, then everybody shall be paid, in full,
what he has earned. And they shall not be wronged.
(Verses 275 - 281)
The prohibition of Riba
From these verses begins the description of the forbiddance of riba
and the injunctions relating to its unlawfulness. This issue is very
important from different angles. On the one hand, there are the severe
warnings of the Qur'an and Sunnah and on the other, it has been
taken today as an integral part of the world economy. The desired

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liberation from it seems to be infested with difficulties. The problem is
very detail-oriented and has to be taken up in all possible aspects.
First of all we have to deliberate into the correct interpretation of
these verses of the Qur'an and into what has been said in authentic
ahadith and then determine what riba is in the terminology of the
Qur'an and Sunnah, what transactions it covers, what is the
underlying wisdom behind its prohibition and what sort of harm it
brings to society.
The second aspect of riba is intellectual and economic. Is it true
that riba guarantees the economic development of the world, so much
so, that its suspension will categorically result in the destruction of
trade and general economic activity? Or, this whole evil cycle is
nothing but the brain-child of those heedless of Allah Almighty and
the Hereafter. Otherwise, all economic problems can be solved without
it as well. Going a step further, we can even say that the economic
peace in the world depends on the elimination of riba, let alone the
resolution of its problems. Riba is the greatest cause of the economic
maladies of the world.
This second aspect involves the discussion of an economic problem
under which come long debates which are not related to the
interpretation of the Qur'an, therefore, we shall restrict ourselves to
dealing with the first aspect only, which requires no less details
either.
Here we have a total of six verses which state the prohibition of
riba and set forth related injunctions. Out of these, the first sentence
of the first verse points out to the sad end of those involved in riba
transactions and to the disgraceful and dishevelled nature of their
rising on the day of resurrection. It is said that those who consume
riba do not stand except like a man who has been driven crazy by the
embrace of some satan or jinn. It appears in hadith that the word, la
yaqumuna or 'do not stand' means the rising of the dead from their
graves on the day of resurrection in the sense that the dealer in riba,
when he rises from his grave, will rise like the mad man who has been
driven crazy by some satan or jinn.
The first thing we find out from this sentence is that a human
being can faint or go mad under the influence of jinns and satans and

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the observations of those who have had such experience prove it. Hafiz
Ibn Qaiyyim al-Jawziyyah Jit, has confirmed that physicians and
philosophers have conceded that epilepsy, fainting or madness are
caused by several different reasons, one of which, at times, could also
be the input of jinns and satans. Those who reject this have no other
argument in their favour except that obviously it is too far out to
believe.
The second point to be noted here is that the Qur'an does not say
that the consumers of riba will rise in a state of madness or insanity.
Instead, it refers to a peculiar condition of lunacy or fit or stupefaction
- as if someone has been embraced by Satan and driven crazy.
Perhaps, this carries the hint that a person struck with lunacy or fit is,
at times, found inactive and silent while usually these people will not
be found in that dormant state. Instead, they would be identified by
their ranting, raving and crazy doings as a result of the satanic touch.
Perhaps, there might be yet another hint here. It is commonly
noticed that human senses come to a flat nothing after fainting or
insanity following a sickness; the very feeling of pain or punishment is
just not there. But these people will not be found in that inert state.
On the contrary, they would feel, with full sensitivity, the pain and the
punishment like one shadowed by-a demon.
Now, at this point, we have to look for a certain compatibility in
crime and punishment. When punishment comes from Allah Almighty,
for a person or group, against a certain crime, it is certainly
appropriate to the crime. Therefore, raising the consumers of riba,
without sense, on the day of resurrection is perhaps indicative of a
certain parallelism. Isn't it that the consumer of riba is so drunk with
his greed for money that he is neither kind to anyone poor, nor does he
blush before anyone for what he does? Since he was really senseless
during his lifetime in the world, he was raised on the day of
resurrection in that same condition. Or, may be, he was so punished
because, in the mortal world, he demonstrated his lack of reason as
reason, that is, he declared riba to be like trade; therefore, he was
made to rise all deprived of his sanity.
Also noteworthy here is the fact that the verse uses the expression
ya'kuluna or 'eating' of riba and, by application, means the taking and

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using of riba. This may be in eating or clothing or housing and its
furnishings. But, it was identified with the act of 'eating' because that
which is eaten cannot possibly be retrieved, contrary to other type of
uses where things can be taken back. Therefore, total possession and
monopoly are expressed through the word, 'eating'. This metaphor is
found, not only in the Arabic language, but in Urdu, Persian and
several other languages (English: 'eat', or the stronger word, 'devour').
After that, comes the second sentence, in which, giving the reason
for this punishment of the consumers of riba, it has been said that
these people have committed two crimes. One: They consumed the
prohibited (haram) by dealing in riba. Two: They took it to be lawful
(halal) and, in reply to those who declared it to be haram, they said
that buying and selling is very much like riba. Just as 'profit' is
derived from riba, so is profit derived from buying and selling. If riba is
haram, trade should be haram too, although it is not prohibited in the
sight of anyone.
Here, given the dictates of the situation, they might have said that
riba is also like trade so, when trade is halal, riba should be halal too.
But they, by changing the style of their statement, took a sort of
mocking plunge at those who said that riba was haram, thereby telling
them in effect - 'if you say riba is haram, then you must say that trade
is also haram'.
In the third sentence, in reply to what these people said, Allah
Almighty negated their position by saying that these people regard
riba as equal to trade, although there is a world of difference between
the two in accordance with the will and command of Allah Almighty.
When He has made the one halal and the other, haram - how could
they be equal?
Keeping this reply in mind, we should note that the objection
raised by those people (the defenders of riba) was based on a purely
rational argument. They were simply saying that since both activities
aimed at earning profit, their governing injunction should also be one
and the same. Praise be to Allah Almighty that He did not answer
their rational doubt by a parallel rational explanation. Rather on the
contrary, answering in His wisdom, He said that Allah Almighty is the
absolute, sovereign master of all and He alone knows the harm and

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benefit, the good and bad of everything, most comprehensively. When
He declares something to be halal, and something else to be haram,
you should immediately realize that there must be some loss or harm
or evil in that which has been declared haram, even if one does or does
not see through it. This is because the actual reality of this whole
system, and the benefit and harm that lies therein, can only be
encompassed by the same 'Alim (the Knower) and Khabir (the Aware),
from Whose reach of knowledge the minutest particle of the world
cannot escape. The individuals or groups in this world can identify
their expedient gains and their losses, but they just cannot claim to
have encompassed the entire range of benefits and harms affecting the
whole wide world. There are things that appear to be beneficial for a
certain person or group but, when looked at in the perspective of the
whole nation or country, the same things prove to be harmful.
Following that, it is said in the third sentence that a person, who
had collected some money before riba was declared haram, and who
repented after riba was declared haram, and promised to himself that
he would not go near it in the future, he then, will find that the
amount so collected belonged to him based on the outward dictate of
the Shari'ah. Now remains the inward affair, that of his sincere,
heart-felt abstinence, or that of his possible hypocritical repentance,
that will be retired as a matter between him and His Lord. If the
repentance comes from the heart, it will be beneficial in the sight of
Allah, otherwise it will pass into nothingness. Common people have no
right to doubt about it. However, one who hears good counsel, yet
elects to revert to the same erroneous pattern of word and deed, for
such people Hell is the place to go since this act of eating riba is a sin.
And since their saying, that riba is halal like trade, is kufr, they will,
for that reason, live in Hell for ever.
In the second verse (276), it was said that Allah Almighty
eradicates riba and lets sadaqat (charities) grow. Here sadaqat were
introduced with riba by virtue of a unique congruity. It will be noted
that there is contradiction in the very nature of riba and sadaqah, then
their outcomes are also contradictory, and generally, those who engage
in these two have contradictory intentions and objectives.
The contradiction in nature can be explained by the fact that in

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sadaqah one gives to others what belongs to him without any reward
or return, while in riba, that which belongs to others is taken without
any compensation or return. The intention and the objective of those
who are engaged in these two activities is contradictory because one
who gives sadaqah elects to lessen or exhaust what belongs to him
exclusively for seeking the pleasure of Allah Almighty and for earning
merit in the Hereafter; while the riba-taker is eager to collect
impermissible increase on the capital he already has. That the
outcome of both is contradictory is made clear by this verse which says
that Allah Almighty erases the gains obtained through riba or takes
away its barakah (blissful abundance); and increases the wealth, or its
barakah for the giver of sadaqah. The result is that the objective of the
greedy in pursuit of wealth is not achieved, while one who spends in
the way of Allah, and who was quite happy with a little decrease in his
belongings, finds it full of Divine barakah whereby his wealth
increases, or its end-products do, and their benefits accumulate.
At this point, it may be interesting to find out what is the meaning
of erasing riba and increasing sadaqat in the verse. Some
commentators have said that this erasing and increasing relates to the
Hereafter where the riba-consumer will find his wealth of no avail; it
might as well become a curse for him; while those who are engaged in
acts of sadaqah and khayrat will find that their wealth has become a
source of eternal blessings. This is absolutely obvious in which there is
no doubt. However, according to the consensus of commentators, the
position is that the erasing of riba and the increasing of sadaqah is
most certainly related to the Hereafter, but some of its traces are
observed in this world as well.
The money or property of which riba becomes a part is sometimes
destroyed taking with it all that was before it. This is a common sight
in markets of riba and stocks where millionaires and capitalists of
yesterday become insolvents and paupers of today. No doubt, there are
chances of profit and loss in riba-free business activities and there are
many businessmen who face losses in business deals but a loss that
turns a millionaire into a beggar is witnessed only in riba markets and
stock exchanges. There are so many statements of the experienced and
the knowledgeable which say that the wealth collected through riba

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may increase faster and higher, but it generally does not survive long
enough to run through children and their successors. In between,
comes some calamity and effaces everything out. Sayyidna Ma'mar
said that they have heard from their elders that forty years hardly
pass on the riba-consumer when muhaq (major loss) overtakes his
wealth.
May be, the wealth or property does not go to ruins outwardly, but
this much is quite certain that its benefits, utilities, and blessings will
go away. Since this is no secret that gold and silver are not desirable
or useful as such. They cannot remove hunger or thirst. They cannot
help beat the heat or serve as quilt and wrap in winter. Neither can
they be used as clothes or utensils. The only purpose for which a wise
person goes through thousands of exercises to procure and secure
these can hardly be anything else except that gold and silver are
means to procure things that go to make man's life pleasant and that
he may live a life of comfort and self-respect. Then comes man's
natural wish that his children and relatives should also enjoy the
same comfort and self-respect as he did.
These are the sort of things that can be called the benefits and
utilities of wealth and property. As a result, we can safely say that one
who procures these benefits and utilities has his wealth increased in a
sense, even though it may appear to have decreased, and one who
procures these benefits and utilities on a lower scale has his wealth
decreased in a sense even though it may appear to have increased.
After having understood this, let us compare the two activities of
riba dealings and sadaqah and khayrat. It will soon be noticed that
the wealth of the riba-consumer, no doubt, appears to be increasing,
but that increase is akin to the swelling of the human body. The
increase in swelling is after all an increase of the body itself. But no
sane person would like to have this sort of increase because he knows
that this increase is a certain knock of death. Similarly, no matter how
increased is the wealth of the riba-consumer, he remains, for ever,
deprived of its fruits, that is, comfort and honour.
Perhaps, at this point, a doubt may bother someone in view of the
comfort and status enjoyed by the riba-consumers of today. Here they
are with their mansions and villas, living in every luxury money can

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hny, attended by servants and maids, having the best to eat, drink and
sleep - necessities and absurdities all rolled in one. A little thought
here would lead every sane person to differentiate between the articles
of comfort and comfort itself. There is a big difference between the two.
The articles of comfort are made in factories and sold in markets.
These can be procured aginst gold and silver, but that which is known
as comfort, peace and bliss, is neither made in any factory nor sold in
any market. This is mercy (rahmah) which comes directly from Allah
Almighty. There are occasions when this cannot be procured no matter
how much one holds in his possession. Just think of the comfort of a
sound sleep. In order to have it, we can certainly do our best - make a
sleep-oriented house which is the best possible, perfect arrangement of
air and light, cooling, heating, handsome looking furniture, the bed,
the mattress, the pillows, all chosen ideally - but can we be sure that
sleep will come just because all this helpful paraphernalia is there? If
you have never personally experienced this, there are thousands who
cannot sleep due to some disease, and who would say no. Reports from
a country, so wealthy and 'civilized' as USA, reveal that seventy per
cent people cannot sleep without sleeping pills. There are times when
even these do not work. You can buy from stores things to make you
sleep but you cannot buy sleep from any store at any price. Similar is
the case of other articles of comfort and enjoyment. You can buy these
articles against money but it is not necessary that you do experience
comfort and enjoyment.
Again, after having understood this, if we look closely at what
happens to the consumers of riba, we shall find that they have
everything in the world except what we know as real peace and
comfort. So intoxicated they are in turning their ten million into
fifteen and fifteen into twenty that they have no time to eat, or dress
up, or be with their wives and children. There are factories to take
care of. There are foreign ships to watch. Anxieties after anxieties
chase them day and night. With them they sleep and with them they
rise. How terrible of these crazy people who have confused comfort
with articles of comfort, and therefore, they are far far away from it.
This is a view of their so-called 'comfort'. Now let us think of their
ideas of status, prestige and fair name. The fact is that such people

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become hard-hearted and merciless. Taking advantage of the poverty
of the poor and the low income of the low-income people becomes their
very occupation. Like parasites, they suck their blood to feed their own
bodies. Since that is that, it is just not possible that people will ever
respect them. Revealing are the accounts of the money-lenders of India
and the Jews of Syria. If you see them as they are, you will find that
their coffers are filled with gold and silver and precious stones yet they
are given no respect in any group of human beings in any corner of
the world. Moreover, the inevitable outcome of this cruel practice of
theirs is that the poor start grudging and hating them, so much so
that in the world of today most wars are an expression of this grudge
and hate. It is the confrontation between labour and capital that
introduced the ideologies of socialism and communism in the world.
The subversive activities of communism are a result of this grudge and
hate. The whole world has become a burning cauldron of killings and
confrontations because of these. This much accounts for their personal
comfort and social prestige. Experience bears out that riba-earnings
never make even the life of their children pleasant. Either the
earnings go to waste or, because of its curse, they too, remain
disgraced and deprived of the real fruits of wealth. People may
perhaps be deceived by the example of the riba-consumers of the West,
wondering how rich they all are and how do their next and their next
generations flourish. To this, I have already answered by presenting a
brief outline of their so-called prosperity.
Here it can only be added that they really are like some man-eater
who nurses his body by feeding on the blood of other human beings,
and then a group of some such people go to live in a community of
their own, and you take someone to that locality to show him how
healthy and prosperous all of them happen to be. But an intelligent
visitor who is interested in the welfare of humanity will never want to
limit his visit to this locality alone; on the contrary, he would also
want to see those localities where the blood of people has been sucked
dry leaving them half dead. One who has seen the totality of such
localities can never be happy with the locality of fat man-eaters. He
can never say that this act of theirs is the way of human progress; on
the contrary, he will have no option but to declare this as destruction
of all that is human.

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Set against this is the case of those who give sadaqah and khayrat.
You will never find them running after money so anxiously. They may
have lesser articles of comfort but they shall be found having more
satisfaction and peace of heart, which is real comfort, as compared to
those who have all those supporting articles. Consequently, they shall
be looked at with respect and admiration by every human being of the
world.
يَمْحَقُ اللَّهُ الرّبُوا وَ يْرْبِىِ الصَّدَقْتِ
Allah destroys riba and nourishes charities.
In short, the above statement of the verse is very clear in relation
to the Hereafter. However, if we wish to understand, with a little
effort, it is equally open in respect of this worldly life. This is what is
meant by the hadith in which the Holy Prophet said:
إن الربو وإن كثر فإن عاقبته تصير إلى قل
No matter how much riba increases, it will decrease ultimate-
ly. (Musnad Ahmad and Ibn Majah)
At the end of the verse (276), it is said:
is said : ◌ِوَاللهُ لَايُحِبُّ كُلَّ كَقَّارٍ أَنِيْم which
means that Allah Almighty does not like any disbeliever, any sinner.
Here it has been indicated that those who just do not hold riba as
haram have fallen into kufr (disbelief); and those who do know it to be
haram, yet get involved with it, are sinners, transgressors or fasiq.
The third verse (277) mentions the great reward of peace and
comfort that awaits the truly believing and practising Muslims, who
are steadfast in Salah and Zakah. Since, in the verse previous to this,
the punishment of Hell and the disgrace the consumers of riba will be
facing was mentioned, so in accordance with the general style of the
noble Qur'an, the merit - in Akhirah - of the believing-practising
Muslims, those steadfast in Salah and Zakah, was mentioned
alongside.
فَأَيُّهَا أَلَّذِينَ أُمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللّهَ وَ ذَرُوا مَا بَقِىَ مِنَ الْرّبُوا إِنُ: (278) The gist of the fourth verse
B" : "O those who believe, fear Allah and give up what still
remains of the riba if you are believers" is that, after the revelation
that prohibited riba, the giving and taking of the amount of riba that
remained due against anyone was also prohibited.
Explaining this, it can be said that riba was rampant all over

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Arabia before it was prohibited by revelation. When verses earlier
than the present one brought forth its prohibition, Muslims - following
their Qur'an-oriented habit - abandoned all their riba-related dealings.
But some people had claims of unpaid riba amounts on some others. In
that connection, it so happened that Banu Thaqif and Banu Makhzum,
two Arab tribes, had mutual riba dealings and people from Banu
Thaqif had claims of unpaid riba amounts against Banu Makhzum.
When Banu Makhzum became Muslims they, after having made their
commitment to Islam, thought it to be impermissible to pay back the
amount of riba due. On the other side were Banu Thaqif; their people
started pressing their claim. Since these people had become Muslims,
but did have a mutual peace agreement, the people of Banu Makhzum
told them that they had now entered the fold of Islam and had no
intention of spending their Islamic earnings in paying off riba.
This dispute rose in Makkah. That was a time after the conquest of
Makkah. Sayyidna Mu'adh ur Ul, (according to another report,
Sayyidna 'Attab ibn 'Asid s Ul ) was the Amir of Makkah,
governor of the city, appointed by the Holy Prophet . He reported
this dispute in writing to him requesting his guidance. It was in this
background that this verse of the Qur'an was revealed, the gist of
which is that all previous dealings involving riba should be terminated
after entry into the fold of Islam, also no previous riba amount should
be realized. The principal was all that could be taken.
When this Islamic law was enforced, the Muslims were already
bound by it. The non-Muslim tribes who had accepted the Islamic law
as party in peace treaties, they too, were bound by it. But, in spite of
this, when the Holy Prophet & announced this law in his famous
Address of the Last Hajj (ghJl >>), he made it a point to say that this
law does not carry behind it the financial interest of any individual, or
nation, or Muslims themselves. This has been brought into force to
reconstruct, reform and better the whole humanity. Therefore, first of
all, we let go large amounts of riba owed by non-Muslims to Muslims.
Now they too should have no excuse in leaving off the amount of riba
they claimed. As he said in his Address:
ألا أن كل ربا كان فى الجاهلية موضوع عنكم كله لكم رءوس أموالكم
لا تظلمون ولا تظلمون و أول ربا موضوع ربا العباس بن عبد المطلب كله
(ابن كثير بحواله ابن أبى حاتم)
which means that the riba content of all riba dealings made in the age

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of ignorance stood forsaken. Now everyone will get the principal and
no one will get the extra amount of riba. 'Neither shall you be able to
do injustice to anyone by charging an increased amount, nor shall
anyone be able to do injustice to you by decreasing the amount of your
principal.' And the first riba that was surrendered was the riba of
Sayyidna 'Abbas ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib رضى الله عنه , large amounts of
which were due on non-Muslims in the form of riba.
The subject verse refers to this happening and sets out the
injunction to leave off all standing riba amounts.
As the verse opens addressed to Muslims, they were first given the
command of zursi
that is, 'fear Allah.' Given after that was the
injunction covering the real issue. This is the same unique style of the
Qur'an which distinguishes it from all the law books of the world.
When a law, which is somewhat difficult to act upon, is given, it has
the prefixes and suffixes of accountability of deeds before Allah
Almighty, and the punishment and reward of the Hereafter, so that
Muslim minds and hearts become prepared to act upon it; the
injunction is announced after that. Here too, the forsaking of the
amount of matured riba could weigh heavy on human disposition,
therefore, said first was dla (fear Allah). After that, came the
injunction : ذَرُوا مَابَقِيَ مِنَ الرِّبوا that is, 'leave off riba that remains.' Towards
the end of the verse it was said: 325 25 31 that is, if you are believers.
Here it was indicated that 'Iman (faith, belief) requires that Divine
injunctions should be followed faithfully. Acting otherwise negates
'Iman. Since this injunction was somewhat heavy on temperaments,
If you are) إِنْ كُنْهُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ Fear Allah) was added before it, and) اتَّقُوُ اللهَ
believers) after it.
After that, in the fifth verse (279), severe warning has been given
to those who act contrary to this injunction. They are told if they do
not abandon riba, they must face a declaration of war from Allah
Almighty and His Messenger. So severe is this warning that any other
warning of such severity does not appear anywhere in the Qur'an in
relation to any other sin, no matter how great, except kufr (disbelief),
وَإِنْ تُبْتُمْ فَلَكُمْ رُمُوْسُ أَمُوَالِكُمْ:of course. The verse then closes with the words
3'i' , Belly that is, if you repent and resolve to leave off the
remaining amount of riba in future, you will get your principal.

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Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 275 - 281
Neither will you be able to do injustice to anyone by extracting more
than your principal, nor will anyone be able to do injustice to you by
decreasing or delaying the return of your principal.' Here the receipt of
the principal has been conditioned by saying that you repent, and
resolve that you will abandon riba in future, and only then, you shall
get your principal.
Evidently this indicates if repentance (Taubah) was not done by
resolving to give up riba, receiving the principal will no more be in
order. Here are the related details. Take the case of a person who just
does not believe that riba could be haram and therefore, he does not
repent and resolve that he will have nothing to do with riba anymore -
then this person goes out of the fold of Islam and becomes an apostate
(w) : murtadd). The injunction governing an apostate is that his
belongings go out of his possession. As a consequence, that which he
has earned during the period he was a Muslim, goes to his Muslim
inheritors, and that which he earns after involvement with kufr is
deposited in the Baytul-Mal ( Juicy : the Exchequer of an Islamic
State). Therefore, should his non-repentance be because he considers
riba to be halal, he will not be entitled to receive even his principal.
And if he does not go to the limit of considering riba as halal but,
nevertheless, in actual practice, does not stop getting involved with it
and, on top of that, gangs up with his kind and stands in confrontation
with the Islamic government, he then is a rebel. His belongings too,
are confiscated and placed as trust in the Baytul-Mal, so that it could
be given back to him when he repents. Perhaps, it is to point out to
such details that it was said in the form of a condition: 339 30 29 35
årgi which implies that, if you do not repent, even your principal will
be held back.
After that there is the sixth verse (280) which, in comparison to the
anti-human claim of riba, has stressed upon pure moral behavior of
showing lenience to the poor and the have-nots. It is said that, if your
borrower is too poor to pay back your loan, the provision of Shari'ah is
that he be given time until he has the means, and should you forgive
him your loan, it is much better for you.
The general habit of riba-consumers is that they, once they know
that their borrower is poor and cannot pay the loan back at the

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Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 275 - 281
appointed time, add up the riba amount in the principal unleashing a
vicious series of riba over riba, even increasing the rate of riba in that
process.
Here Allah Almighty, the wisest of all law-givers, gave the law that
a genuinely poor borrower who is unable to pay back his loan should
not be harassed. Instead, he should be given respite until such time
that he becomes capable of doing so. Along with it was given the
inducement to forgive the loan which is more beneficial for the lender.
The word, sadaqah has been used here by the Qur'an to mean the
act of forgiving. The hint given is that this forgiveness will become an
act of charity in your case and will bring forth great merit. As for the
statement - 'if you forgive, that is better for you' - it can be said that
this action was obviously a matter of total loss for them because they
were not only being asked to surrender riba but also were going to lose
their own principal! Still, the Qur'an called it 'better' (khayr). There
are two reasons for this:
1. This betterment will be witnessed soon after the transitory life
of this world when, in lieu of this insignificant earning, one will get the
eternal blessings of Paradise.
2. Perhaps there may be yet another hint towards the possibility
that one will himself see how good comes out of his deeds. There will
be barakah (increase, bliss) in what one has. The essence of barakah is
that a little serves to take care of a lot more needs, even without a
quantitative increase in what one has. As such, it is commonly
witnessed that there is unlimited barakah in the wealth of those who
spend in sadaqah and khayrat. The little they have serves to take care
of so many needs which will never be liquidated with large amounts of
money spent by those whose money is haram (unlawful).
Then there is the wealth not blessed with barakah. One never
realizes the purpose for which it is spent. Or, it so happens that such
rich people have to spend huge amounts of money on undesirable
heads such as medicines, treatment and consultancy fees, which is
something the poor do not face. First of all, Allah Almighty blesses
them with health which frees them from spending on their treatment
and, in case they do fall ill, ordinary treatment gives them their health
back. Seen from this angle, forgiving the poor person the loan due to

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Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 275 - 281
him, which is apparently a matter of loss, becomes under this Qur'anic
teachings, a beneficial act.
This teaching of giving respite to a poor borrower has also been
commended in authentic ahadith some of which are reproduced below.
According to a hadith in the Mu'jim of al-Tabarani, a person who
wishes to be under the shadow of divine mercy when there will be no
other shadow for anyone to hide under, he should treat the poor
borrower with lenience and deferment, or forgive him the debt, if it
comes to that.
Another hadith similar to this appears in Şahin Muslim as well. It
is said in a hadith from the Musnad of Ahmad that the person who
grants respite to a penniless borrower will get a daily thawab of
sadaqah in proportion to the amount due against that borrower. And
this calculation covers the act of giving respite well before the deadline
for repayment arrives; and when the deadline for repayment does
arrive and the borrower does not have the means to pay, the respite
given at that time will bring forth for the giver of respite a daily
thawab of giving twice that amount in sadaqah.
Another hadith says that a person who wishes that his prayer be
answered, or his misfortune be removed, he should give respite to the
penniless in debt.
In the last verse (281), there appear again the subjects of the fear
of the Last Day, its accounting, its rewards and punishment, at which
end these verses containing the injunctions of riba. It was said in this
last verse:
وَأَتَّقُوا يَوْمًا تُرْجَعُوْنَ فِيْهِ إِلَىَ اللّهِ ثُمَّ تُؤَفَُّ كُلَّ نَفِ تَّاكَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُوْنَ 0
That is, fear a day on which all of you will be assembled be-
fore Allah when everyone will be fully and equitably recom-
pensed for his deeds and they will not be wronged.
Sayyidna 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas ate An », says that this verse is the
last in the order of its revelation. No other verse was revealed after
that. Thirty-one days later, the Holy Prophet _ left this mortal world.
There are other reports which say that this happened after only nine
days.
Upto this point, the explanations have been restricted to the verses

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Surah Al-Bar arah 2 : 275 - 281
of Surah al-Bagarah which concern the injunctions of riba. Dealing
with the unlawfulness and prohibition of riba, there are in the noble
Qur'an seven verses of Surah al-Baqarah cited above, one verse in
Surah Al-'Imran and two verses in Surah al-Nisa'. There is yet
another verse in Surah al-Rum the explanations of which differ. Some
have taken it too in the sense of usury or interest, while others hold
that it has some other connotation. Thus there are ten verses of the
Holy Qur'an which carry the injunctions of riba or interest.
Before we get to know the whole truth about riba, it seems
appropriate that the translation and explanation of the rest of the
verses which appear in the Surahs Al-'Imran, al-Nisa' and al-Rum,
should be given here so that it becomes easy for us to understand the
true nature of riba in the combined perspective of all these verses.
Verse 130, of Surah Al-'Imran (3) reads as follows:
فَأَيُّهَا أَّذِيْنَ أُمَنُوا لَا تَأْكُلُوا الْرّبُوا أَضُعَافًا مُضْعَفَةً وَّأَتَّقُوا اللهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ
◌ُقْلِحُونَ)
O those who believe, do not eat Riba (usury or interest) multi-
plied many times. And fear Allah, so that you may be success-
ful.
There is a special event behind the revelation of this verse. In
pre-Islam Arabia, the general pattern of riba transactions was that
loans were given on riba for a set period of time; when that period
expired and the borrower was unable to pay it back, he was given an
extension of time on the condition that the amount of riba was to be
increased. Similarly, if payment was not made even on the expiry of
the second deadline, the amount of riba was further increased. This
fact is mentioned in general books of Tafsir, specially in Lubab
al-Nuqul, on the authority of Mujahid.
The verse was revealed to eradicate this inhuman custom of pre-
Islam Arabia. Therefore, by saying ma tuZi (ad'afam Muda'afatan:
multiplied many times) in the verse, their prevailing practice was con-
demned and they were warned on their selfishness and anti-
community conduct, and naturally so, it was declared prohibited. This
does not mean that riba will not be prohibited if it happens not to be
multiplied many times, because the absolute prohibition of riba has

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Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 275 - 281
been very clearly stated in Surah al-Baqarah and Surah al-Nisa', irre-
spective of its being doubled or multiplied many times. This is like it
has been said at several places in the Holy Qur'an : ◌ًلَاتَشْتَرُوا بِأَيْنِىٌ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلا (Do
not take a paltry price in exchange of My verses). The expression
paltry price' was used here to indicate that even if the kingdom of the
whole world was taken in exchange for the Divinely revealed verses,
the price will still be 'paltry.' It does not mean that taking a paltry
price against the verses of the Qur'an is haram, but taking a higher
price would be permissible. Similarly, the expression kuusi
(multiplied many times), has been introduced only to focus attention
on their shameful method and it is not a necessary condition for the
prohibition.
Moreover, if we think about the prevalent methods of riba, we will
reach the conclusion that once the habit of taking riba is settled, the
riba does not remain simple riba anymore; it necessarily becomes
doubled and multiplied because the amount accrued from riba becomes
a part of the total amount owned by the creditor and, when he further
circulates this additional amount of riba on interest or usury, the riba
becomes multiplied. Should this chain action go on building up,
nothing can stop it from becoming Ma fuel (multiplied many times).
This way every riba will end up increasing several times.
Having dealt with verse 130 of Surah Al-'Imran, let us now look at
the two verses, 160 and 161 of Surah al-Nisa' which concern riba.
These are as follows:
فَبِظُلْم ◌ِنَ الَّذِيْنَ هَادُوًا حَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ طَيْتٍ أُحِلَّتُ لَهُمْ وَبِصَدِّهِمُ عَنْ سَبِيلٍ
اللَّهِ كَثِيْرًا وَأَخْذِهِمُ الّبُوا وَقَدُ نُهُوْا عَنْهُ وَأَكْلِهِمْ أَمْوَالَ النَّاسِ بِالْبَاطِلِ
وَأَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكُفِرِيْنَ مِنْهُمْ عَذَابًا أَلَيْمًا )
So, for the transgression of those who became Jews, We pro-
hibited for them the good things earlier made lawful for them
and for their preventing (people) frequently from the way of
Allah, and for their taking riba (usury or interest) while they
were forbidden from it, and for their eating up the properties
of the people by false means. And We have prepared, for the
disbelievers among them, a painful punishment.
These two verses tell us that riba was equally prohibited under the
law of Sayyidna Musa WJILL . When the Jews opposed it, they were

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Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 275 - 281
appropriately punished in their worldly life when they started
devouring the unlawful just out of greed for the mortal gains of the
world, consequently then, Allah Almighty declared some lawful things
prohibited for them.
Verse 39 of Section 4 in Surah al-Rum is as follows:
وَمَا أَتَّيْتُمْ تِنْ ◌ِيًّا لِيَرْبُوَأْ فِىٌّ أَمُوَالِ النَّاسِ فَلاَ يَرْتُوْ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَمَا أَتَكْتُمْ يِّنُ
زَكُوةٍ تُرِيُّدُوْنَ وَجْهَ اللَّهِ فَأَوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُضْعِفُونَ )
And what you give in usury, that it may increase upon the
people's wealth, increases not with God; but what you give in
alms, desiring God's Face, - they shall receive recompense
manifold. (30:39)
Some commentators have taken this verse, like others mentioned
earlier, to be dealing with interest or usury in view of the use of the
word riba meaning 'increase' in the text. According to them, the verse
means that money does seem to increase apparently by taking
interest, but in fact, it does not. It is like the case of a person whose
body gets swollen. Obviously this 'increases' his body but no sane
person would be happy with this sort of 'increase'. On the contrary, he
would regard it as death in the offing. As compared to this, the giving
of zakah and sadaqah does seem to decrease the wealth apparently,
but that is no decrease in fact, rather on the contrary, it is the source
of thousands of increases. It is like someone who takes purgative as
system-cleanser or lets blood as a therapeutic measure; he looks weak
on the outside and seems to miss something in his body but those who
know regard this 'decrease' to be a fore-runner of his 'increase' in
health and strength.
According to some scholars of tafsir, this verse does not refer to the
prohibition of usury or interest at all, rather, the word 'riba' used in
that verse refers to a gift presented to someone, not in good faith, but
with the intention that it would bring back some better gift in return
from the receiver. The gifts of this type are in vogue in some
communities at the time of marital ceremonies Since this type of
giving is to seek selfish ends and not to seek the pleasure of Allah
Almighty, therefore, it was said in the verse that by doing so your
wealth may seem to increase, but actually it does not increase with

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Surah Al-Baqarah 2 : 275 - 281
Allah, while that which is given as zakah and sadaqat to seek the
pleasure of Allah Almighty goes on to double and redouble with Allah.
According to this explanation, the sense of the verse will match
with what was said addressing the Holy Prophet & in another verse
(74:6): 'X23 ý; that is, do not do favour to anyone with the intention
that it may bring to you some added benefit in return.
This second explanation appears to be obviously weightier in con-
nection with this verse of Surah al-Rum. Firstly, because Surah al-
Rum is Makki. Although, it is not necessary that every verse in a Mak-
ki Surah is revealed in Makkah, yet there exists strong probability
that it is so unless proved otherwise. And in case the verse is Makki, it
cannot be interpreted to carry the sense of the prohibition of riba be-
cause the prohibition of riba came by revelation in Madinah. In addi-
tion to this, the subject dealt with earlier than this verse also indicates
فَأْتِ ذَا الْقُرُّبِى حَقَّهُ وَالْمِسْكِينَ :a tilt towards this explanation. There it was said
,which means: 'Give to the relative his due وَابْنَ السَّبِيْلِ ذلِكَ خَيْرٌ لِلَّذِيْنَ مُرِيُّدُونَ وَجُهَ الَلَّهِ
and to the poor and the wayfarer. This is better for those who seek the
pleasure of Allah.'
In this verse, it has been stated that spending on relatives, the
poor and the wayfarers can become an act of thawab only on the
condition that the intention behind it should be that of seeking the
pleasure of Allah Almighty. Then, following that, in the verse under
discussion, it was further explained that financial help given to
someone with the hope that it will bring back greater return from the
receiver of the help is certainly no spending in the way of Allah where
the purpose is hardly to seek His pleasure. As a result, this will bring
no thawab.
Anyhow, there are, beside this particular verse, several other
verses cited earlier which do deal with the prohibition of riba. Out of
these, there is the verse from Surah Al-'Imran which prohibits doubled
and multiplied riba; the rest of the verses state the prohibition of riba
as such. These details, at the least, clear this much that riba is haram
(unlawful) anyway, be it doubled and multiplied, simple or compound.
It may be kept in mind that the degree of its being haram is so severe
that a declaration of war has been made on behalf of Allah and His
Messenger against those who challenge the injunction.