40. Fill up the blank:

ٱلَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ .................ٰ لَا يَقُومُونَ إِلَّا كَمَا يَقُومُ ٱلَّذِى يَتَخَبَّطُهُ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ مِنَ ٱلْمَسِّ 

 Answer: [ٱلرِّبَوا ]

40. Those who consume ……………………. will stand on Judgment Day like those driven to madness by  Shaitan’s touch.

Answer: Usury or interest or Riba.

بِسْمِ ٱللَّٰهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Interest/usury/riba is the money charged for burrowing money.  It is of are two types: Riba al-Nasiyah- interest pays through money and Riba al-Fadl - interest pays through things. Religious scholars, sociologists, economists, educated persons from various religions considered riba as a social evil that brings about inequalities among people. In Arabia during pre-islamic era practice of riba was rooted like anything that it sometimes led to slavery.

Allah revealed in Quran the verses about riba in different occasions. During Makkan revelation Allah told mildly not to exploit poor by giving loans based on interest. It will not increase the wealth. Giving wealth by way of charity, not only seek the pleasure of Allah but also multiply wealth by His blessings. He says: “Whatever loans you give, only seeking interest at the expense of people’s wealth will not increase with Allah. But whatever charity you give, only seeking the pleasure of Allah—it is they whose reward will be multiplied. Whatever riba (increased amount) you give, so that it may increase in the wealth of the people, it does not increase with Allah” (30:39).

After Hijra when Islam start spreading in Madina, a warning and reminder about interest was sent down at Al- Madinah. At that time Jews in the Madina were getting riba even though their book prohibited the practise completely. Allah warns the Muslims by saying how He was preparing a painful punishment for them.  “And for their charging ribā (usury or interest) while they were forbidden from it, and for their devouring of the properties of the people by false means. We have prepared, for the disbelievers among them, a painful punishment.” [Al-Nisa: 161].

In the third step Allah directly revealed to the believers, “O you who believe, do not eat up the amounts acquired through ribā (interest), doubled and multiplied. Fear Allah, so that you may be successful.” [3: 130]. He expected the believers, to leave the practice, atleast for the fear of Allah. But there were serious arguments and discussions among people about this, saying that it is like a trade.

Allah sent down verses from surahe-Al-Baqara commanding to forbid riba. They will be punished if they still continue that practice. “Those who consume interest will stand on Judgment Day like those driven to madness by Shaitan’s touch. That is because they say, “Trade is no different than interest.” But Allah has permitted trading and forbidden interest. Whoever refrains—after having received warning from their Lord—may keep their previous gains, and their case is left to Allah. As for those who persist, it is they who will be the residents of the Fire. They will be there forever. (2:275). Allah has made interest fruitless and charity fruitful. And Allah does not like any ungrateful evildoer. (2:276).

Finaly Allah says that those who forbid it are true believers. “O believers! Fear Allah, and give up outstanding interest if you are true believers. (2:278). He further says, “If you do not, then beware of a war with Allah and His Messenger! But if you repent, you may retain your principal—neither inflicting nor suffering harm.” Lastly Allah said, “Be mindful of the Day when you will all be returned to Allah, then every soul will be paid in full for what it has done, and none will be wronged.” (2:281).

 

Riba is haram because:

The rich person, who is a lender, exploits the poor.

It leads into never-ending cycle of debt and riba for the poor, the borrower.

Thus it further increases the poverty of poor.

It is like a kind of corrupt to put someone in debt and charge them for their debt when Allah has made Zakath mandatory.

It is immoral to make money when someone is in need of it.

By getting riba, the rich person, get benefits from the poor.

Thus rich people become still rich and poor people become still poor

Shaithan increases the greed, selfishness and hard heartedness of the lender.

The lender starts acting against the spirit of brotherhood and sympathy,

He squeezes the borrower as much as possible to get the loan back with interest, regardless of the borrower’s situation.

Instead Allah wants the believer to lend a loan to someone in need, for the sake of Allah, without getting any interest.

 

Aadhees about Riba:

“Al-Bukhari recorded that Samurah bin Jundub said in the long Hadith about the dream that the Prophet ﷺ had, “We reached a river - the narrator said, "I thought he said that the river was as red as blood''- and found that a man was swimming in the river, and on its bank there was another man standing with a large collection of stones next to him. The man in the river would swim, then come to the man who had collected the stones and open his mouth, and the other man would throw a stone in his mouth. The explanation of this dream was that the person in the river was one who consumed Riba.” (From Ibn Khathir)

The Prophet ﷺ once said, “Shun the seven deadly [deeds]. ‘It was said [by a Companion listening to him]: O Messenger of Allah! What are they?’ “He said: Association of partners with Allah; the practice of sorcery; the killing of any person – which Allah has forbidden – except by a divinely established right; the consumption of interest; the consumption of an orphan’s wealth; fleeing on the day of advance into battle; and the defaming of virtuous, innocent, believing women.” (Nasa’i)

He ﷺ cursed the receiver and the payer of interest, the one who records it and the two witnesses to the transaction and said: "They are all alike [in guilt]." [Sahih Muslim]

The verse from Al-Baqara was the one among with the lastly revealed verses. So “the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ prohibited riba explicitly in his last hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) which was the most attended gathering of his companions. Jabir ibn 'Abdallah, giving a report on the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ's last hajj, said: “The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ addressed the people and said "All of the riba of Jahiliyyah (the days predating Islam) is annulled. The first riba that I annul is our riba, that accruing to 'Abbas ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib, it is being cancelled completely." [Sahih Muslim]

'Abdallah ibn Hanzalahnarrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: "A dirham of riba which a man receives knowingly is worse than committing adultery thirty-six times." [Mishkat al-Masabih]

Abu Hurayrah narrated the following aahadhees about riba: The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:"On the night of Ascension I came upon people whose stomachs were like houses with snakes visible from the outside. I asked Gabriel who they were. He replied that they were people who had received interest." [Ibn Majah]

"Riba has seventy segments, the least serious being equivalent to a man committing adultery with his own mother." [Ibn Majah]

"Allah would be justified in not allowing four persons to enter paradise or to taste its blessings: he who drinks habitually, he who takes riba, he who usurps an orphan's property without right, and he who is undutiful to his parents." (Mustadrak al-Hakim, Kitab al-Buyu')

"There will certainly come a time for mankind when everyone will take riba and if he does not do so, its dust will reach him." (Abu Dawud, Kitab al-Buyu', Bab fi ijtinabi al-shubuhat; also in Ibn Majah)

“On the Day of Resurrection, the interest-takers will be raised up insane. Others shall recognize them as interest-takers for their madness.” (Dhahabi)

The Prophet ﷺ said, as well: “On the Day of Resurrection, people will swiftly rise up from their graves, but not those who consumed interest in life. They will stand up then fall down as one struck with seizures. Whenever they try to stand, they fall over because of their consumption of interest in this world. For as punishment on the Day of Resurrection, Allah fills their stomachs with a weightiest thing, the weight of which topples them when they stand. They try to hasten along with the people but cannot.” (Dhahabi)

The modern age transactions are so complicated. A Muslim may not have a clear cut idea of which is forbidden and whish is not.  As per the opinion of Islamic scholars, Islamic Sharia prohibits the receipt or payment of interest. This includes:

•   interest received in the bank account for savings and fixed deposits.

•  property purchase loans, educational loans or any other form of loan with interest

If at all any believer receive interest on any cause, let him not use it for his own purpose but distribute that interest money to the needy and poor.

الحمدلله