ALMIGHTY ALLAH,S FINAL COMMAND ON RIBA (INTEREST)

ALMIGHTY ALLAH,S FINAL COMMAND ON RIBA (INTEREST)

Ayat no 275: 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.

Ayat 276: Allah destroys riba and nourishes charities. And Allah does not like any sinful disbeliever.

Ayat 277Surely 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.

Ayat 278: 0 those who believe, fear Allah and give up what still remains of the 'riba' if you are believers.

Ayat 279: 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.

Ayat 280: 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.

Ayat 281: 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) Sura Baqara

The prohibition of Riba

First of all we have to deliberate into the correct interpretation of these verses of the Qur95n and into what has been said in authentic Ahadith and then determine what rib5 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

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.

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.

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, 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 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 haram .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.

Note: This article ends and will continue in the next new post. Matter has been taken from ma,riful quran of mufti shafi sahib usmani. Pl ask if you have any doubt about understanding or clarification of the Ayah.

Mufti Abdulqayyum
29TH Jan 11